The Never-Fading Light
by StinatheWicked13
Summary: *Complete* Sequel to The Never Played Symphonies. Sasuke finds a way to alter what happened. He finds a way to still have his light. Just what consequences is he invoking because of his desire for Itachi? Itachi/Sasuke
1. This is the Way the World Ends

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 1: This is the Way the World Ends

"Sparky…" Deidara sighed as he leaned down to the unconscious body on the grave. Sasuke stank of unwashed skin and alcohol, and the scent was almost enough to make him gag. ...Almost. But it was Sasuke, wasn't it? He had seen this kid worst than this, hadn't he? He was actually getting better. It wasn't like before...in the days right after Itachi's death. He snorted to himself. What was he talking about with days...months more like it.

Sasuke just screamed at first. He screamed himself hoarse. He screamed until he choked on his own blood, and then his throat healed so he could scream some more. This in its entirety seemed to infuriate the last Uchiha. He made it his mission after that to make the pain stick. He cut his throat open...he slit open his own belly...he slit his wrists. Nothing worked. Itachi's last punishment. To make Sasuke so angry that he would kill him, only to not let him follow. He hoped Itachi was rotting wherever he was. He hoped he was in agony.

The knife hadn't been a blessing. No, far from it. It was the cruelest gift of all to give Sasuke. His broken soul was tattered and bruised, but it was his own again. It was his even though it clawed to get back to Itachi. It had belonged to him after all. It was his by right, and Sasuke had to endure that fight. He had to endure a broken soul and a broken heart, and know he had done every last bit of it himself.

The screaming had turned to an almost catatonic state. Almost being the fact that Sasuke fought him and Sasori tooth and nail whenever they tried to feed him. Apparently if his eye wouldn't let him slit his own throat, it couldn't exactly stop him from dying of hunger. He had to admit it was a rational sentiment. However, just because it was rational doesn't mean that it annoyed him any less when Sasuke bit him while he was shoving the feeding tube down his throat.

This had lasted an entire year before Sasuke snapped out of it. Personally, he thought the Kyuubi inside of him was pissed enough to want out and had forced his hand. Either way, Sasuke had a new goal now.

Bringing. Itachi. Back.

The first time he had admitted to Deidara what he was looking into he had punched Sasuke hard enough in the face that he had broken his nose...and when that fucking eye healed it he had broken it again.

Itachi Uchiha. He cursed the very day that monster had drawn breath. He cursed the fact that he had taken his only friend besides Sasori and turned him into a shell...a corpse that was still living only because Itachi wouldn't let him die. Deidara laughed to himself as he scooped Sasuke into his arms, the teen weighing all but nothing as he could see every rib bone beneath the collar of his shirt. Sasori was slacking again. He'd have to get on his man about what just it meant to be his turn to feed the puppy. It was Itachi's final manipulation...to push Sasuke to this. He knew what he would do. He knew he wouldn't stop trying. Even broken and battered as it was, Sasuke's soul still belonged to that monster and he didn't mind sullying it a bit more if it meant bringing its master home.

Deidara carried him out of the graveyard, not sparing a look back at the grave Sasuke slept on. Sasuke always slept here. They would leave him here in this village until they knew they were pushing his hunger and sanity (the thought that Sasuke had any sanity left was laughable) and then they would come collect him, clean him up, get a hot meal in him, and then disappear before Konoha knew they were trespassing in their territory.

That had been a trick in itself, convincing them to take him back. After Kakashi's death it was a wonder they had let Sasuke in at all. Too soft...the lot of them. He suppose it had a lot to do with the fact that Naruto was in line to be Hokage, and that rapist had a soft spot for his victim. Enough, at least, to let him live by himself in an abandoned village and rot away to nothing...his own punishment for all his horrible crimes. As if he hadn't already endured enough.

Deidara kicked open the door to Sasuke's house, cringing at the state of the place. He supposed he would have to clean up too. When exactly had he gone from feared ammunition expert to nursemaid to a spoiled brat? He supposed...if he were being really honest with himself...probably since that time he had found him crying in the kitchen. ...Probably since he had looked at someone the same way he looked at Sasori. How could he not? Sasuke was split into pieces, and yet was still bright and shiny...ready to explode like a bomb. He wouldn't act on it...he adored Sasori too much for that, but after watching Sasuke for most of his life and then finally being able to see him..well...he couldn't just walk away.

Sasuke stirred against his chest as he leaned down to start the bath, fingers raking through the long greasy locks. "You'll feel better once we wash this stink off you. You were attracting flies, yeah?" He asked, knowing the other had woken up, could feel the quickening of his heartbeat against his chest. ...That small dismal hope that he might open his eyes and it would be Itachi holding him.

"Dei…" Sasuke whispered, opening those mismatched eyes as he stared up at him. "You haven't come in awhile. You always make your better half."

"Better half my ass.." Deidara scoffed. "And I do mean that...my ass is the better half. You don't want to see that hard piece of wood." He said, grinning as it seemed Sasuke was well enough today to not only talk, but to mock him. That in itself was a rarity.

"At least you know it'll always be perky," Sasuke mused, laying back against his chest. "I was really close this time." He said, and Deidara had to strain his ears to pick up the words. He ignored them, refusing to acknowledge Sasuke's folly as he poured half the bottle of soap in the tub.

"Can you get undressed?" Deidara asked him, still stroking that hair. "You know I draw lines somewhere, Spark."

"Not with that you don't," Sasuke said, amusement was faintly in his voice, but that same desolate longing that came from anytime he remembered Itachi was back on his face. "But I see your point. I'll take a bath...won't make you scrub behind my ears." He lifted himself off of Deidara, and his hands followed to Sasuke's waist, holding him steady as the other stripped. "I know...I have to stop. It's killing me. He told me the same tonight. He told me not to go back."

The bastard. He was baiting him.

"Maybe you should listen to your dear Aniki's advice?" Deidara suggested, though there was no real confidence in his tone. He knew the ending to this story a long time ago.

"No. I think I figured it out. Where I went...we were normal. We were in this village, and he hated it...but he loved me. I think he was still sick….when I came to my own mind I saw bottles all along his bed frame...medicine. That isn't our life. It won't work. He will resent me and get bored. He will die of his illness unless I am able to help him."

Deidara sighed, humoring his Spark as he helped him into the tub. His lip raised a bit in disgust at how dirty the water turned. "Alright, but that's your problem. He has always been sick...it's the reason he tore you apart. So even if you do manage to change realities, and I cannot stress enough how you shouldn't do that, then how are you going to stop him from dying?"

"The cure…" Sasuke murmured, resting his elbows on the tub as he watched Deidara. "That was the first thing I figured out." Deidra struggled to hide the surprise on his face. "My soul helps him...So I did what he did...I poured it into something."

"You did not…" Deidara growled, disgust filling him as he got up. He just couldn't win with this one. "Do you hate yourself this much?" He asked him, wanting to shake the kid...throttle him until he saw sense and reason, but Sasuke never did when it came to Itachi, did he? Deidara grabbed at Sasuke, hands fisting in both sides of his dirty hair as he yanked him forward. "What did I do to be cursed with you? To be saddled with Itachi's insanity?"

Mad eyes stared back at him...eyes that had seen into the depths of hell. "Itachi bound you to me...He bought you, and that's why you don't leave." Sasuke reached out then, twisting in the bathtub so that he was gripping Deidara just as tightly. "Don't act like you didn't lie to me too...they weren't as bad, but they were lies." He laid their foreheads together. "You are the one person in the world I know I can trust, because he gave you to me. If you want free of me...if you finally want free then you will let me do this. You will let me release us both."

"And what if I don't want to be released?" Deidara asked him softly, and being this close to him...it felt he was burning. It felt like he was cascaded in flames, and yet he wanted to drink them...he wanted to sear his own throat if only it would stop this maddening want. ...Sasuke was cracking his soul again...he was making room...he was drawing Itachi back in.

"Maybe you're more of a masochist than I thought?" Sasuke asked, pulling back and pulling that fire back with him. Fuck...what had he done to himself already? "I torture myself enough Dei, I won't torture you any longer. This isn't fair...the both of you should have the world...not be worrying after me."

"You're our family," Deidara pointed out, hating how his emotionally damaging quips didn't seem to come to his lips as easily...not around this broken creature...this maddening sin of his.

"Are you?" Sasuke asked, and he actually sounded questioning. He sounded young and confused. Deidara knew he was neither. "My brother then?"

Deidara sighed, refusing to walk into that trap. "Let's go with cousin. You ever fuck your cousin, Sparky?" He asked, and he couldn't help but notice the water beads flickering on Sasuke's long lashes.

"Not yet," He said easily, and Deidara's stomach swam like it was full of snakes as he smirked lecherously at him. Itachi was in that smirk...or at very least the monster he had raised.

"So Itachi was bored of you?" Deidara asked to break that look that spoke of knives and torture and broken souls. "I'm not surprised. He never was satisfied unless he was breaking you."

Sasuke shrugged it off, not arguing with the truth. "Exactly why it won't work...changing things too early will make him stay with me. He can't stay with me at that point..later."

"After he slaughters your clan, you mean?" Deidara asked, bile rising up in his throat as the snakes twisted at the way Sasuke's eyes almost lit up with excitement...as if Deidara had given him an idea.

"That could work. An excuse for him to leave, but no...he would have already had part of it…" He thought to himself.

"Not of course considering the lives of your Mother and Father?" Deidara asked, grabbing for the shampoo as he began to lather dark tresses. "You'd sacrifice them again to prevent Itachi's boredom?"

"They're already dead, Dei...I'm not sacrificing my family. I'm sacrificing everything to bring one of them back!" Sasuke argued, and really, what was the point trying to argue with insanity?

"Tilt your head back, Spark…." He just managed, threading his fingers through the now clean locks as he grabbed for the soap. "What about what everyone else is going to sacrifice? You say you've found a jutsu that will alter a moment in time? Forbidden...the most dangerous act of all because you don't know what you'll be changing. What about all of those people who lay their lives down for an altered future? Just what will change? If he doesn't take you, then you don't kill Orochimaru...You don't kill Obito. How many people die instead? What wrongs are you going to bring about in this world, Sasuke?"

"He'll be alive…" Sasuke tried to argue, but his voice sounded more hollow.

"Yes, Itachi will be alive. The biggest wrong of them all," He wished he had been the one to plunge the knife into that bastard's stomach.

"You don't understand him...not really. He loved me. He did this all for me...it just started out wrong," Sasuke tried to justify, like he always did.

"You stabbed him Sasuke. You killed him...and I promise you he deserved it. He even thought so…" He tried, knowing it would do about as good as it always did.

"I didn't know...I…" Sasuke had gone quiet in the bath as Deidara scrubbed his back….and if Sasuke was crying, well...he sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up. The sponge traveled over the scar where Kisame had ripped through Sasuke, tracing along his back as he considered how much easier things would have been for the kid if Naruto had just let him die. Well, if Sasuke wanted a better life for himself than he certainly wasn't going to argue. He knew that in whatever life he was in he would have Sasori in any world, and maybe...just maybe...Sasuke could make it less miserable for them all.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sasuke watched the man currently cooking his dinner, remembering those few weeks when it had been just him and Itachi in Kisame's shack. His brother had made him bacon and eggs every morning. Honestly, it was probably the only thing he knew how to cook. They had lived like real people then. They had been plotting to overthrow the Akatsuki, he supposed, but then Itachi was always plotting something, wasn't he?

"Why didn't Dei come, isn't it his turn?" He asked Sasori, sipping on his coffee. He had remembered to shower and get dressed today.

"Not excited to see me, Sasuke?" Sasori asked, that perfect porcelain face staring at him in that knowing way.

"Always, Sensei," Sasuke replied to him. "I always want for your company. However, you did come last week to make sure I was still alive."

Sasori sighed, looking back at him and Sasuke saw the slight look of pity in his eyes. They all pitied him. It was why he always stayed alone...unless Konoha needed something...unless Naruto needed his somewhat more formidable skills. That used to mean fucking...now it meant killing. He supposed he had to be good at something.

"He isn't coming back, is he? Finally tired of my pining," Sasuke murmured, trying to hide the hurt he felt over finally being thrown over. Honestly, he was surprised it had taken this long.

"I would more describe it as grieving," Sasori corrected. "Your abuser has to have someone to grieve him I suppose."

Sasuke looked up with a glare, his eyes slitting with the Kyuubi as he stared at Sasori. "Not my abuser," He hissed at the man, taking a bite of the oatmeal Sasori had made and feeling it turn to ash in his upset stomach. "If I remember correctly you followed that man." He pointed out, a small level of spite in his tone.

"I followed you," Sasori argued, refilling his mug of coffee. "You were just too naive to realize that you had the reins all along…" He reached out and grabbed his chin, making Sasuke scowl at the touch. "You were just too lovesick to take them up."

"Was it wrong to love him?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep his mind from shattering and just stay with the conversation. "Did he not deserve it?"

"I daresay he didn't, but then you know that," Sasori murmured, watching him. "You killed him, Sasuke. Eventually you need to stop mourning your own choices and decide what you want."

"I want him," Sasuke answered immediately. "It's all I've ever wanted, and it doesn't matter how much of my soul I have, it is always his to take. I didn't see that before."

"No," Sasori mused. "Clarity can be so blinding sometimes, can't it?" He asked mockingly, and Sasuke glared over his mug of coffee.

"What do you know about it? You have Dei...it's different." He told him, putting down the coffee and standing up. "It's never been hard between you two."

"How would you know?" Sasori asked. "Have you ever seen past your own selfish ambitions to ask?"

Sasuke flinched, knowing that it wasn't wrong...knowing he had always been guilty of loving Itachi beyond everything else in the world. At least somebody was finally seeing it.

"There it is, that trademark guilt," Sasori remarked. "You can't see past your own selfish desires, and yet you think it be on your hands to change this world? Is not having him worth the death and destruction you're about to wrought on all of our existences?"

"You don't know that it will be worse. It could be better...there was plenty death and destruction here already."

"Itachi will be here," Sasori pointed out. "It will be worse." Sasuke hissed as his long spikes were grabbed and he was pulled forward. "I ask you once, don't do this foolishness. You are condemning your soul."

"That doesn't really sound like asking…" Sasuke grunted, twisting out of that grasp. "And I think my soul's already pretty much condemned, don't you think?"

"Don't make it worse," Sasori begged him, eyes flickering over his face as if he could read him...as if he could know the inner workings of his blackened demented soul.

"You think it could get worse?" Sasuke asked honestly. "I cannot die. I can hurt...I can infinitely hurt, he saw to that. But I cannot ever escape it. His cruelest joke. I won't let it be my reality to be separated from him, even if it was by my own design. Wouldn't you do the same for Deidara?"

"Never," Sasori asked. "But then again I wouldn't have killed him...He wouldn't have given me the reason to." Sasori gave him a look, and Sasuke wanted to punch him again. "And he _did_ give you a reason, Sasuke."

"I gave him reasons too though, didn't I?" Sasuke asked him, feeling the pang of want in his chest again as he grabbed longingly for the necklace around his neck. "Will you help me?" He asked, almost wistful for the longing to not hear a denial for his crazy plan.

"I'll help you," Sasori agreed. "I shudder to think what will happen to this world if I do not….You have something dangerous inside of you, Sasuke, and if you completely give up hope it will rip through you and feast until it no longer feels the grief you've soaked it in."

"The Kyuubi…" Sasuke murmured out loud. "That's the one part I can't figure out you know." He told Sasori, smiling as he was granted another refill. It's strange how all the coffee in the world couldn't stop the dark circles from forming under his eyes. "If I change things I don't know if he will put it inside me…" He grinned to himself. "The Kyuubi I mean."

"I know what you meant," Sasori murmured, rolling his eyes at the childish quip. "And how do you know he'll want you?" The puppet master asked him. "What if you change the world and don't get what you actually want?"

Sasuke laughed at that. "Are you joking?" He asked Sasori, that same insanity flashing behind his eyes. "I've done my research...I can seduce him in any world. Sometimes he puts up more of a front...sometimes it's harder to give in, but he always does in the end. Even if I have to pull him kicking and screaming."

"You talk as if it was your affliction and not his?" Sasori asked curiously, coming to sit down by Sasuke, a strange hand landing on his shoulder. "Sasuke, you realize what's he's done to you? I know you don't care, but you do see it, don't you?"

"I don't expect you to understand us," Sasuke murmured, that small contact sending longing through his skin. Longing to be touched again...to love again...to have his brother back. "I no longer wish to be your burden. I need to wake up, Sasori. I need to wake up or you're right...the Kyuubi will consume me in ways death cannot. We can prevent that destruction. We can save so many."

"Don't try to pass on your own selfish desires as anything other than what they are," Sasori murmured back to him. "What do we need for the ritual?"

"I've done most the prep work myself," Sasuke informed him now that he knew Sasori was willing to help. "I wrote the jutsu...it will be like nothing the world has ever seen." His eye changed with the mangekyou. "You'll be proud."

"Given what it must cost you to do it, well, I very much doubt that." Sasori informed him. "Let me know when you're ready."

"Come back at sundown…" Sasuke told him as his eyes followed Sasori to the door. "I'll be ready…"

He lay in Itachi's bed, once more plotting every detail in his mind. He went over every way this could go wrong (there were a lot) and every way this could end with Itachi despising him (there were a lot of those too) It didn't matter though. He would prove to his brother what he had always known himself, his devotion to Itachi was stronger than Itachi's to him. Itachi had left him. He had set himself up for death rather than be with him. He wouldn't let him get off that easy. He wouldn't let him go to a place where he couldn't follow, because that was his madness.

What if Deidara and Sasori were right? What if he was going to make things all the more wrong? What if he plunged all those he still cared about into a world of death? He turned to the side where the picture of him and his brother sat. He reached out, tracing not Itachi's face, but that of his own. ...Back when he was innocent, or rather...didn't realize just what he was feeling, for he had always loved Itachi. He just hoped he was right about his younger self. He hoped when it came down to it that innocence would serve both their purposes.

His hand left the picture as he rolled onto his back, staring up at the familiar ceiling as his shirt raked up, revealing his stomach. His fingertips found the still warm skin that he thought should be freezing to the touch for how dead he felt inside. How could he still be so warm when he had died that night he had stabbed his soul?

Sasuke's fingernails dragged up to the scar Itachi was obsessed with, finger tracing the soft jagged skin as he imagined it was Itachi's own fingers. His breathing quickened as he traveled lower, over his navel where the seal of the Kyuubi lay. What would come of Naruto if he followed through? His brave protector...his hero. He had destroyed him. He had taken a bright shiny star and snuffed it out. He had ripped out the thing inside of him that gave him purpose. He had ripped out the heart inside of him that he could feel love with. He had ripped out the soul inside of him that allowed him to feel anything but guilt. No, Naruto would not miss this pain. Sadly, he knew Naruto would miss him...no matter how much he should not. They were both masochists in that way.

He sat up after taking one more inhale of the pillow, grabbing for the kunai he kept underneath it in the same way his brother always had as he made his way stiffly down the stairs. His eyes scanned towards the wrapped bundle in the exact spot where his parents had be slain by his beloved. ...The wrapped bundle that stunk of death and decay and made him want to gag. ...The wrapped bundle that broke his heart to even think about the fact that it was lying there...worm food. Nothing but crude matter.

Sasuke slowly walked over to that bundle, kunai gripped in the same hand his engagement ring still lay. He pushed down the nausea threatening to overtake him as he steeled his nerves and sickness enough to sink down on the body the sheet covered. His thighs still found their way easily around those hips as he slowly drew the sheet down to reveal the rotting emaciated face. It was still slashed, more bone than flesh now as the insects ate it away, giving back to the ground in a way Itachi never gave back to anyone.

He allowed his fingers to trail over the lips that weren't really lips anymore, down the neck that was emaciated and dried like stinking leather. "I love you...I can't...I can't anymore without you." He laid their foreheads together, ignoring the stink of it as he tried to remember all the times they had done this...in their world in between worlds. He wanted him back there...he needed him back, and he wanted it bad enough to try. "I tried to hate you for what you did, but I can't. I can never hate you. I can never want anything besides you."

"Forgive me, Aniki…" He whispered, before plunging the Kunai through the chest that gave way far too easily. His hand followed into the decayed mess that was a rotting corpse's insides, grabbing around an organ and pulling it out almost gentle to prevent it from turning to mush. He got up from the body then, covering with the sheet and trying not to blanch at the dark almost black staining that came to it from the rotten blood. Sasuke looked down at the thing in his hand, dissolved and stinking though it may be, it was the closest thing he had to ever proving that his Aniki had a heart.

He brought it over to the chalice, a forbidden object he had stolen long ago...back when he had called himself an Akatsuki. It seemed like another lifetime. Sasuke struggled as he dropped the heart into it, grabbing again for the same kunai that had cut out a rotting organ from his brother's corpse. ...The same corpse he had just dug up with his bare hands. Itachi hardly weighed anything anymore...He supposed skeletons weren't known for their mass.

Sasuke brought the kunai to his wrist, stabbing the point in just at his pulse and dragging all the way up to his elbows. His arm spread open like butter and poured the blood into the chalice. It poured and poured and yet the cup never seemed to fill. His skin knitted together as his eye glowed in the way he cursed every day. He had tried to kill himself like this before, which is how he knew it would not work...not for the purposes of death anyways, but then again he wasn't wishing for death anymore.

He grit his teeth through the pain as he slit his wrist again, pouring more of his powerful life force into the never filling cup as he felt himself weaken even as his eye tried to heal the ruin. It may have been able to knit his flesh, but it couldn't renew his blood quite so fast. He cut open his arm for the fifth time before Sasori finally arrived. He looked up towards his mentor...his teacher...his friend. He wondered if Sasori could ever forgive him...He wondered if Deidara would finally find peace without his torment tied to him. He wondered if Naruto would be happy in this new world...if him and Shikamaru would be together and the intelligent nin could give him all the things in the world that he could not.

"Sasuke!" Sasori was by his side in an instant, and Sasuke realized then as he broke away from his chanting that the table was covered in carnage...in blood as it seeped through the same floorboards his mother and father's had. ...Through the same floorboards that Itachi's dead blood now seeped and congealed.

"A sacrifice…" He found himself saying, reaching in shakily to his pocket and throwing in the red stone that now glowed bright enough to bask them in red light as Sasori's arms wrapped around him from behind. ...Always holding him up even if he didn't deserve it. "Say thank you to Dei again for me...this eye allowed me to sacrifice a human without anymore death. You see...it's not always about the actual act…but the amount of blood paid towards the cause." He said, and the room was swept in shadows before the red light burst forth once again, covering all of the Uchiha village in its light. "I need your help now...to do the hand signs. I need you to help move my hands."

"Sasuke, don't do this...it isn't...you dug up your brother…" Sasuke could hear the disgust in his voice even through the pounding of his slowing heart.

"Yes, another sacrifice. Don't worry, he won't mind paying it. He always gives me what I want eventually, didn't I tell you that?" He asked, another pulse from the powerful stone exploding and spreading as it engulfed Konoha in that light, spreading out across the mountains. "Hurry now...I'll pass out soon." He told Sasori, feeling puppet strings obediently wrap around his hands. "As I speak…" He managed, his eye was glowing, but the final cut not knitting back together near as quickly now that it was trying to keep him alive. He felt a pulse go through him that had nothing to do with the stone's power as his eyes knitted with the Kyuubi as it screamed inside of his head, the chakra surrounding him as tails lashed around him. He spoke through his fangs, Sasori helping with the commands as the world underneath him began to shake. No...to dissolve.

His skin began to peel as the fifth tail took over, his face beginning to elongate with chakra and death as the stone pulsed, fighting against the Kyuubi. Proving once more that the Uchiha were even more powerful than the Jinchuuriki. He was more powerful...and he would have his brother back. He would bring this world to heel once and for all. The stone exploded inside the chalice mixed with his blood and Itachi's, and then there was no more...and then there was only silence.

,,,,,,,,,,,

Sasuke awoke to screaming. He woke in blood. His eyes traveled to the side, resting in the warm coppery substance as he met the eyes of his Uncle. Eye he supposed...Itachi had taken half his face off with a sword. He always hated his Uncle. He remembered this...remembered just what it felt like to glance at the brains spilling out all over the road. It was the same then...He had gone to the right time.

He pushed himself shakily up, his eye still glowing as it knitted his skin back along his face. His arm closed as the Kyuubi pitched in, slowly regenerating the blood loss that would have claimed any other life. His eyes slid over the old woman who had once healed him when he had a fever. Itachi had decapitated her, her lifeless eyes were blank as they stared at him. It made his stomach roll. It made him want to die all over again no matter how many times Itachi had forced him to relive this night in punishment before.

But he didn't hate Itachi for this, not anymore. His Aniki had whispered forgiveness into his lips, had licked it along his navel, had promised it with a ring. He couldn't hate Itachi for this when he had done worse...when he would do worse this very night. He would sacrifice something that he would never be able to get back...his right to choose whether or not to have seen this slaughter. To sacrifice his right to know truly that Itachi was capable of this act of carnage and brutality, and kiss his lips anyways...to lick his fingers clean even though he realized they were covered in so much blood.

Sasuke slipped the mask over his face as he forced his eyes to take in every corpse he passed. He forced himself to remember their place in his life as he stepped through their blood like it was flooding from a particularly bad rainstorm. But it hadn't rained this night. It had been clear...clear enough that he could see Itachi perched even now upon the power line like a deadly pixie. Had he already found him? Had he already left him in a pool of his own piss, drool, and tears?

His eyes watched him, motioning to him with his finger as he headed out of their village. He saw himself then...heard those pathetic cries as he considered...he supposed he had already found him. He would deal with that crying mess in a moment. He had bigger fish to fry first.

Itachi came at him like lightening, and Sasuke barely needed to react to get the sword off his back before he blocked the strike, sliding along the ground as chakra crashed into his own. "I forgot how quick you were…" He said, longing echoing through him with every word as he pushed his madness at bay. "Itachi Uchiha."

He reacted quick as Itachi shifted, blocking another blow as Itachi slashed at him over and over, only his eyes being able to track the movement. He shifted at just the last second to bring up a kunai to block his real brother from the other side, surrounded as the one facing his sword disappeared in crows. He stared into the mangekyou sharingan that Itachi bore, not fearing its power. Itachi wasn't strong enough to best him here...not yet.

"Do I know you?" Itachi asked finally, distrust evident in his tone, though his body was still relaxed, unworried. ...His brother probably thought he was playing with him. However, his own Itachi had trained him...he had built him into this unstopping force, and so this teenage murderer did not know who he was dealing with.

"You know me very well I daresay," He told him, turning fully to glance at his brother's blood spattered face. "You're beautiful in the moonlight."

Itachi gave no sign he had acknowledged the compliment other than a slight sneer. It was strange...how much more open he was with him. ...This must be what he really showed to the rest of the world that worshipped at his feet even though he never asked for it. How many times had sick perverts told him he was beautiful? How many sycophants had dribbled at his boots?

"Do you not think it's true?" Sasuke asked him, feet beginning to move as they circled each other, Itachi never giving him the advantage. "Beautiful death…" He gave a slight laugh. "The best way to describe you...My beautiful death."

"I am not yours," Were the words hissed back at him, quiet, searching. He was confusing to his brother. It wasn't a surprise he supposed, he knew what his chakra must feel like.

"No?" Sasuke asked him, and took a step forward, grinning ferally as Itachi actually took a step back and heat pulsed through his loins. Now wasn't the time for that though...not when his brother's putrid corpse blood was still all over his fingers. ...But it would be...soon. "Who do you belong to then? Surely you didn't just kill all those people on a whim?" He asked, amusement in his voice that he knew would piss his brother off. He wasn't wrong.

He parried again, blocking Itachi's sword as he flipped backwards, landing in the branch of a tree as he perched like a cat, cloak of chakra coating him as the power licked at his skin. His nails elongated, teeth sharpening as he stared hungrily down at his want in this world.

"I think I know," He taunted. "That boy back in the village…" He watched Itachi's eyes sharpen at this mention of him, and his heart sped in his chest. "You left him alive."

"He's of no consequence to you, Jinchuuriki." Itachi growled coldly up at him. "Why don't you show your face and be done with it? Orange is not your color."

Sasuke tapped his face to the swirled mask. "This mask holds particular value to me," He informed Itachi. "You would do well to remember it. You would do well to not trust anyone wearing it." He jumped in front of Itachi, letting his chakra lick over the other.

"You're wearing it," Itachi pointed out, not backing away this time.

Sasuke made a noise of agreement in his throat, and then let his treacherous hands reach out, not able to help himself as they slid up Itachi's chest. He wasn't surprised when Itachi reacted, grabbing him and slamming him backwards. Desire swept through him at the feel of that body on his again, warm and breathing as he ripped the mask off his face.

It was very clear Itachi meant to trap him inside of his eyes once he was able to meet them, but instead it was his brother that was trapped by the sight of him. The sharingan flooded from his eyes with the shock, only to widen in general surprise as he scanned his face. His brother was not stupid. A genius wouldn't have to look at him long to age him...to know where he had come from.

"Otouto?" He asked, and there general shock in his tone, his mask slipping in a way that only he could ever invoke in Itachi.

"Hi baby…" Sasuke breathed, and not able to help himself around this man he grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in and in his disbelieving surprise Itachi actually let him pull him forward into his lips.

It was like going home...dying...torture...and pleasure all it was once. It was agony and ecstasy kissing him. Itachi opened his mouth in surprise, and Sasuke used it to his full advantage, slipping his tongue into that hot cavern. He kissed Itachi in the way he had been trained to, mapping out every inch of the other's young mouth. It was strange...being older than Itachi now.

Itachi for his part had yet to start kissing back, as if his mind was trying to comprehend what was happening, but then he knew the truth of things. He knew that Itachi had wanted him even then. He knew at this point Itachi had already tasted his soul. His brother's hands flexed, dropping his sword as they came to his hips, as if he couldn't control himself as he gripped them. Itachi slammed him harder against the tree behind him and kissed him back almost desperately. He kissed him with a maddening intensity that Sasuke knew very well. It had been the same intensity he himself had felt the first time he was able to kiss Itachi...his soulmate.

He tilt his head back, letting Itachi devour his mouth, letting him take what he had so far been denied. He felt the hard press of his brother's desire against his thigh, and shifted so he slotted better between his legs. His eye had shifted to the mangekyou by the time Itachi finally pulled away, but his brother's own eyes no longer held shock. "I get you…" Itachi whispered, thumb stroking along his bottom lip.

"You get me," Sasuke agreed, dropping his own sword so his hands could travel up Itachi's chest. "Over and over and over again…" He promised him, ending his trail at Itachi's cheeks, his engagement ring glittering against his skin. "I love you...never doubt that. Ever. Even now...with how you left me back there...I still adore you."

"Lies," Itachi growled, gripping him harder. "Do not lie to me, Sasuke. How is it you have come here? Why?"

"Because I ruin things, Aniki. I always ruin things, but I'm trying to fix them...I'm trying to fix us." He explained. "You're running to get away from what you did to me, but you need only have asked." He pulled the syringe from his pocket, an almost gold glow came from the contents inside. "You will not be weak anymore...you will not be sick...you will not touch me until I come to you. Is that understood?" Sasuke asked, chakra licking across Itachi to make sure he knew not to try anything. He licked at Itachi's lips, shifting again to feel the hard press of Itachi against him. "I want it...I promise you I want it...you never needed the deceit to get my soul."

Before Itachi could react Sasuke plunged the syringe into his neck, kissing away the surprised gasp. Sasuke threw the syringe down, smiling at his brother who was holding his neck and glaring. "What did you do, Sasuke?" Itachi growled, hand wrapping around his neck as he squeezed.

"What you could not," Sasuke growled right back, gritting his teeth as he stared down his brother's sharingan. "I healed you. Your disease...a cure." Two tails sprung from him as he sent Itachi flying, springing through the air and landing on Itachi as he hit the ground, five tails whipped behind him as his eyes bled with the fox and his sharp teeth grinned down at him. "Say thank you."

"You're insane," Itachi said dryly. "I drove you insane...with what I want from you,"

Sasuke thought about that...Itachi wasn't wrong, but he doubted he knew exactly what he wanted right now. "We're both insane, Aniki. Don't you understand that by now?" He leaned down close, his hand full of his sacrifice as it pressed over Itachi's chest. "This has cost me a great deal to come here...to save you. One day...one day you'll say thank you." Was what he said before plunging his clawed hand forward, completing the second part of the jutsu as he slid Itachi's own decrepit heart into his younger self. It slid into place like a lock and key.

Itachi screamed...of course he screamed. Even his great and powerful Aniki could not help from being a scared teenager going through agony as he thrashed underneath him. He pressed down on his hips, pressing him into the ground as the screams of torture and agony finally quieted. Sasuke stroked Itachi's cheek with the back of his hand, slipping the ring off his own finger and sliding it onto Itachi's. "Don't screw up again, Aniki…" He told him, begged him. "This is a one time deal...I can't fix this a second time."

Sasuke slid off his brother's lap, leaning down and grabbing for the sword and mask as he stalked back towards his village. He stepped over the threshold, the smell of blood masking what would have been a nice night. It didn't take him long to find who he was looking for. The pathetic crying mass was now curled into a ball as insanity swept over his delicate sensibilities.

"Sasuke," He greeted his younger self, leaning down and grabbing his chin to draw those unseeing eyes towards him. "Focus." He hissed, his sharingan sharpening his younger self's mind to pay attention to him. "There you are...I know you've had a bit of a trying night tonight, so I'll make this quick."

Sasuke's dark synthetically focused eyes looked up at him, and he felt wrong for taking away his power like this. "Itachi...he did this. My Aniki...he took everything...Okasan...Otosan...they're gone. They're all dead!" 

"Yes," Sasuke agreed with his younger self. "They are, but you're not. You're here and you need to listen to what I say to you. I did this to you. I forced Itachi to do this or I would have killed this village myself. I would have brought war to Konoha."

"Wha?" The younger asked, and Sasuke reared back and slapped the stupid child.

"You heard what I said. I am Akatsuki. I am an Uchiha and your brother is ' _mine_ '" He growled, gripping those spikes as he dragged Sasuke up to his feet. "You stupid child. I will kill you too one day. I am the monster in your fairytale, Sasuke. I am the one that should keep you up at night...and I am keeping your dear Aniki...so behave yourself or I'll kill him too."

"No! I-I saw him. He spoke to me," The child tried to ration, to reason why this could be occurring. 

"He lied!" Sasuke growled, striking him again to make sure the point got across. "Everyone lies to you, Sasuke, and why wouldn't they? You, who are so very very gullible." Sasuke hit him again. "Seek me out...or I will come back, Sasuke. I will come back...and this time...this time I will not hesitate to kill you." He pulled the other close, letting his eye swirl with the mangekyou. Tsukuyomi sucked Sasuke in as he bled away the memories in his own head, obscuring them, putting himself in the mask as he slaughtered his own clan, letting Sasuke see this new truth.

Sasuke dropped the pathetic mass after the torture had consumed him. He hoped it had been enough. He hoped he hadn't truly screwed up the world to get his Aniki back. He hoped...He hoped… His vision was beginning to blur as he tried to grab for something, anything to hold onto...but he was alone, wasn't he? He was truly alone. He fell to the ground as his arms opened back up and the Kyuubi screamed inside of him in protest as his blood bled into the earth and his heart stilled. A sacrifice...his eye couldn't a jutsu. The gifts his Aniki had given him were most powerful, but nothing is more powerful than fate. Nothing is more certain than death. It came to them all, and this was this end this wretched one...but not the end. He used his claws to tear through his own chest this time, grabbing onto what he needed as he chanted, pushing it into Sasuke's own No, if he everything done right he should wake up in a world very similar to his. Obito should have been killed by his hands...the Kyuubi should be nestled inside Naruto where it belonged...and he should be nestled in his Aniki's arms...his true Aniki...the heart that was decayed and dead only a few hours ago now beating fast and warm in his chest.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

A.N- I can't believe I went and did this! For the record Never Played Symphonies was supposed to be it. It was supposed to be done, but then I just missed Sasuke and Itachi so much, and it felt unfinished in some way. So I started this little number. I really really really would appreciate feedback. If you think NPS should have stopped where it was then please tell me. I don't want to be starting again at their epic story if everyone hates the plot and the idea behind it. Hopefully it made a little sense, even if it is still obviously confusing right now. Sasuke is a hot mess and it's hard to write his level of crazy. I am really excited about this story though! Thanks so much for taking this plunge with me.


	2. A New World

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 2: A New World

Sasuke practically purred as warm lips kissed their way down his chest, lifting his thin hips to slide off his boxers as they made their way lower. He inhaled the familiar scent, spreading his legs obediently as a warm tongue licked along his abdomen, dropping lower as he grabbed for blond spikes. Blue eyes glanced feraly up at him, grinning before he took him into his mouth.

"Remind me to go on missions more often…" Sasuke managed, gripping the hair tighter as he arched up into that perfect mouth. "Fuck I missed this," He moaned, shifting his hips along with Naruto's mouth. He dropped his head back on the pillow, enjoying himself as he had already been close when the other kissed him awake. Of course he was...the dreams had started again. He hadn't been taking his medicine.

He lazily came in his mouth, Naruto resting his nose in the dark curls and he could feel him smiling. Sasuke stretched as he spread his legs wider, offering himself up if Naruto wanted to take it, but the other crawled up his body instead, and he found his lover's lips for the first fully conscious kiss this morning. His taste spread between them as his lover crawled fully on top of him, laughing as Naruto pulled away to nuzzle his neck.

"I missed you too," Sasuke said, nose crinkled with a smile as Naruto kissed all along his chin.

"Not as much as I missed you...I promise," Naruto assured him, and kissed him once more as he cupped his face. "Happy birthday Sasuke...18...how does it feel?"

Sasuke hummed in his throat, hands coming to grip Naruto's hips as he thought about it. "Well, I suppose it could be worse."

Naruto laughed at that, punching him playfully in the shoulder. "Could be worse? I'm almost Hokage...just a few months and Lady Tsunade is handing over the reigns. You're Captain in the ANBU...what more could we want?" Naruto glanced down at him between thick blond lashes. "Well...there's something else I want." He told him, finger trailing down his chest.

"Oh?" Sasuke asked teasingly, spreading his knees wider as he figured that's what the blond wanted. "Get on it already...think I'm up for another round."

"I want to have a baby…" Naruto said quietly, finger lingering on Sasuke's stomach.

Sasuke felt his jaw drop a little at that as he pushed himself up, Naruto now straddling his hips as he pulled him closer. "What?" He asked curiously, scanning the blond's face. "What do you mean you want a baby? I know you make good use of cumming between my thighs, but you do realize there's a dick down there, don't you?" He asked, grinning now as he figured Naruto was joking.

"We've been together six years," Naruto pointed out.

"I wasn't aware this was a history lesson," Sasuke pointed out, smile fading a little. "I can't have a…"

"I obviously don't mean you carry it Sasuke-teme," Naruto murmured, rolling his eyes. "You can knock someone up."

"Me!?" Sasuke asked, entertaining the crazy notion for half a second. "You want me to bang some girl and have her carry our child?"

"Of course not!" Naruto said. "Like...turkey baster style," Naruto pointed out a little nervous. "We would have an heir...and you could start rebuilding your clan,"

Sasuke was interrupted from telling Naruto that he was a crazy person by the piercing pain in his head as he gripped his skull. Memories flooded him...memories of a similar conversation ripped through him, piercing, expanding as he gripped the sheets, refusing to acknowledge these dreams as real life. He wouldn't. These dreams he had been having since he was a child of Itachi were poison.

"It's alright, baby," He heard Naruto whisper, rocking him as the cascade of pain finally calmed, leaving him lying in Naruto's arms. "Did you take your medicine last night?" He heard the question asked, trying to get through the thrum of pain in order to answer.

"Out," He managed, sighing as Naruto rubbed his back and the pain began to ebb. "I'll get some more today...they haven't...they haven't been as bad." He never told Naruto what they were. He never told anyone what they were. Just that there was something wrong with his brain...that he got headaches. Sometimes he woke up screaming, and other times he woke up with cum between his legs and his fingers inside himself. Naruto never asked during those times. He supposed it had to do with Sasuke distracting him with other means.

Naruto kissed his dark spikes and smiled at him when Sasuke finally managed to lift his head. "No more baby talk today Naruto...I kill people...do you really want our child to be bathed in that blood?" He asked, pushing out of bed and pulling his boxers back on. "Do you want breakfast?"

"Yes," Naruto pointed out. "But we aren't done with this conversation either," He got out of the bed, following him into their kitchen and grabbing Sasuke from behind as he pulled him to his chest, hands coming to his belly. "I'm going to be Hokage, I need an heir," Naruto reminded him, and Sasuke was sure he honestly thought his negotiation skills were on point.

"Oh?" Sasuke asked him, turning his face to glare at his blond shinobi. "Then maybe you should have married a girl?"

"Is that a proposal?" Naruto asked, not taking the bait.

Sasuke snorted, rolling his eyes. "Again I would like to remind you that it's my 18th birthday. I offered you sex, is that not enough for you? Now you need proposals and babies?" He teased him before he kissed him. "You want an omelette?"

"I want you to commit," Naruto said seriously, and the smile fell from Sasuke's face. "How can you have been mine since we were 12 and giving each other handjobs in back alleys, and yet when I bring up something important to me you act like we just started dating? The entire village knows we are together!" He accused. "You think I'm ashamed of you because I'm going to be Hokage? Scared of the spotlight because I'm the Kyuubi!?"

"Kind of just not wanting to pick a fight with you after just waking up," Sasuke pointed out, used to Naruto's temper. It had been getting worse the longer the fox was inside him. "But if you want to marry me so much, well then maybe you should propose?" He asked him, before going back to the stove and cracking some eggs into the pan. "You better be okay with omelettes, because I have that and ramen in my wheelhouse, and otherwise I'm worthless as a chef."

"I love you," Naruto whispered, lips pressed to his pulse in apology.

"Yeah yeah…" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I love you too, Dobe. Now go make me coffee," He commanded between a kiss.

Naruto grinned, slapping his ass as he went towards the machine. "Like I would ever willingly deal with you without your coffee. Cranky bitch,"

"Crazy asshole," Sasuke said right back as he cooked, smiling faintly to himself. He wiped at his nose as it bled just a little more from his headache. He pressed close to the stove as he thought about what he had seen. He thought about how Itachi had touched him...had made him promises. What was wrong with him? Why did this happen to him? He hadn't seen his brother in 10 years, and yet he saw him every night. He saw him during the day. He saw him all the time. How could he commit to Naruto completely when it felt like half of his soul belonged to someone else? How could he ever tell Naruto about his insanity when the person in his sick fantasies was his own brother?

"You know it is your birthday. You should have let me cook for you," Naruto pointed out, handing him his coffee. "Though I guess Kakashi is already taking care of that tonight, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he sipped. "Good...a parental figure to harp on me about eating more."

"You are really skinny," Naruto remarked, grinning as Sasuke glowered at him over his coffee.

"Shut up Naruto...or I won't give you birthday sex tonight," He threatened.

"Wait," Naruto considered. "Wouldn't I be the one buried between your pretty thighs?"

"Only if I spread them," Sasuke pointed out between sips, handing him his omelette. "Eat up. I've got to go get the medicine, so I'll be back for dinner." He poured the coffee into a to go container as he leaned down to kiss him good-bye. "A few hours tops."

"I don't mind, Sasuke," Naruto reminded him. "It helps you to talk to him, right? To tell him whatever you see?"

Sasuke flinched, Naruto was always more perceptive than he gave him credit for. "It helps," He agreed, and knew Naruto was looking for a promise to open up to him. However, that was something he could never do. "I'll only be a few hours," He finished with before finally leaving the house.

Sasuke stepped out into the streets of Konoha. The apartment they had was right across from the ramen shop. ...Naruto's idea. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he remembered the argument they had had over that one. Sasuke had wanted to go back to his village, and Naruto had wanted hot soup and noodles. ...Of course it wasn't worth the fight. It never was. He wanted to stay in his village out of a promise to himself, but he honestly hated it there. Too many memories. Too many nightmares. The headaches were almost unbearable there. He felt Itachi in everything he touched...he saw those false memories that couldn't possibly be right. That wasn't all though...he saw their deaths every time he was there.

That bastard in the mask, he had been hunting him his entire life. There wasn't even a scrap of information about him. Not even a whisper. He suspected of course. He had to have ties with the Akatsuki, didn't he? But then again, who didn't?

Sasuke glanced up to the banners of black and red that hung even in Konoha...the last free territory left. Akatsuki bastards. The Jinchuuriki terrorized the nation, tearing and ripping their way into absolute obedience. Those monsters had toppled armies and destroyed entire villages. One of those monsters came between his legs every night… It was a strange thing, hating them so much and yet rallying behind one. Naruto was different though...Naruto had to be different.

His fingers reached out, tracing over one of the red clouds as he remembered the war. He remember Naruto being thrust into the front lines at only 15. He remembered the skin ripping off of his face as it elongated. He remembered the monster that came out of the person who kissed him so sweetly. He was bedding a demon, but he didn't care. If anything...he was jealous. Naruto was all that stood between them and slavery like the rest of the territories.

He was going to be Hokage. He was the hero of the village, and Sasuke hated it. ...Deep down...he hated it. He would never tell Naruto that. He would continue on in the ANBU looking for the man in the orange mask, but it was shameful. It was shameful that Naruto should have accomplished so much and he so little. What would his brother think? Where was his brother? There had been whispers of Itachi, but no sightings. It was almost like he was being kept intentionally blinded to his whereabouts. 10 years...10 years with no trace of his family other than these visions...memories...nightmares. How was he expected to go on like this? How could he talk of marriage and children with Naruto when he had a second life he was living in dreams and fantasies?

He supposed it didn't much matter. One day the peace negotiations between Konoha and the Akatsuki would fail, and they would come for Naruto. If that happened...well...he supposed they would all die trying to protect him. Plenty already had. Blood and death were a common occurrence anymore. He happened to think the Akatsuki dogs bled the best. His sword had been covered in plenty of it. Soon he would kill one of the leaders...11 he was told. Just because they hid behind monsters, didn't mean he wouldn't find them some day.

Sasuke headed towards the mountain with the faces of the founders. Konoha was a free territory...but for how long? He heard the stirrings of all out war. How were they supposed to fight off an army of monsters? How was he supposed to stop Naruto from succumbing and becoming just like them?

"You're early," He heard a familiar voice taunt, and turned towards it almost longingly. That voice meant medicine. It meant relief from the torment that came at Itachi's hands.

"Come now sensei," He said with a tease on his breath as he smiled at the man...well..kind of man. "Don't tell me you're upset about getting to see me just a bit early." He bowed to Sasori. "Besides I brought my part." He tossed a vial to his teacher, to his godsend. Sasori had found him on a mission four years ago. His face was covered in blood from the headaches and he had nearly lost his mind with wanting his brother...wanting something. It was almost like he should remember something that he shouldn't have. It was almost like this was all a lie. Sasori had picked him up and gave him a tonic. It had stopped the nightmares. It had stopped the pain if only for a brief moment.

Sasori opened the vial, inhaling as he looked more curious than anything. "It's good...but it isn't good enough. You didn't use enough nightshade."

Sasuke rose an eyebrow. "Criticizing my recipe, now?" He asked. "Wow, you are in a mood." He came over, grabbing the vial back as he inhaled. "It will still kill somebody, I assure you."

"It will," Sasori conceded. "But I am teaching you to be a master assassin. I am teaching you how to carve your name into this world. Just killing someone isn't going to do that."

"Meaning you want them to suffer?" Sasuke asked. "Forgive me if I don't quite have your bloodlust yet, Sensei."

"Forgive me if I don't buy that, Sasuke," Sasori shot right back. "Captain of the ANBU not having bloodlust is an irony that is lost on me." He grabbed the vial back. "You can cut your enemies into bits and carve your name out that way, or you can be more elegant. Shinobi will fear you because they won't understand you," He pointed out.

"If poison carves your name out so well, how come I've never heard of you, Sasori?" He asked right back, smiling as his teacher rolled his eyes.

"Let's not get into the amount of things you don't notice in your life, Sasuke," He said. "Just keep your head buried between your Kyuubi's thighs, and pretend that the world is exactly what you think it is."

"Implying what?" Sasuke asked, friendly nature turning suspicious as he watched Sasori.

"Honestly, Sasuke...Open those pretty eyes and maybe you'll see something," He grumbled to him, pouring out the vial and tossing it back to his apprentice. "Try again."

"I worked a month on that recipe!" Sasuke bit out, staring at his hard work soaking into the ground. "What the hell, Sasori!?"

"Do you want to be good, or do you want to get noticed by him?" Sasori bit right back, no sympathy in his voice.

"Him?" Sasuke asked, anger still strangulating, but his curiosity was piqued. "Have you any news of the man in the orange mask?"

Sasori tilt his head, as if he was considering his answer. "Is that who you thought I meant when I said him?"

"Who else could you mean?" Sasuke murmured back, feeling his heart begin to pound. Sasori was acting very strange today, as if he had grown tired of pretending. He was acting as if this was a bore. "Who do you mean, sensei?"

"You belong to the free territory, Sasuke," Sasori murmured, staring up towards the sky. "Konoha is a haven against the rest of the ravished world. You have surrounded yourself in an illusion. The illusion is going to fade. What will you do when you finally see the truth?" He got up, walking over to him, and Sasuke was forced to look up at Sasori as he tilted up his chin. "What will it do to you?"

"You know," Sasuke started after a minute, reaching up to grab that unnatural hand gripping his chin. "You say these little snippets, implying that I shouldn't quite trust you. Implying that I'm being lied to. You could just tell me the truth?"

"The truth?" Sasori asked right back, reaching in and pulling out his own vial, handing over the medicine. "You don't want to see the truth. You're content to believe the very best in people, and yet soak your own soul in blood and death. You're a conundrum to me. You have the potential inside of you to be Hokage if you wished it, instead you lick that Jinchuuriki's boots. You serve as an ANBU dog, and you meet in back alleys with me to get medicine for a condition that should worry you much more than it does."

"My 'condition' worries me plenty, Sensei," Sasuke growled at him, pocketing the medicine and yanking his face away. "I have no wish to be Hokage. That's Naruto's dream."

"What's your dream, Sasuke?" Sasori asked him. "What do you want?"

Itachi. He wanted his brother. "Revenge," He said instead. "That man took away my family. He took away my village. He took away my brother."

"Itachi Uchiha...He isn't dead," Sasori growled, and Sasuke ignored the sound of dislike in his voice to focus on the first mention of Itachi he had had in years.

"Sasori...Do you know where he is?" He asked, reaching forward to grab him close. "Do you? You have to tell me. I have so many questions for him. I need to see him!"

"There it is," Sasori remarked. "There's actually passion in your eyes. I know where your brother is," He assured him. "That's a very different path than the one you're walking, however. You let everyone see the light, Itachi would eclipse that. He would push you over the edge you've been walking."

Sasuke's heart was pounding so hard he couldn't breathe, fingers twisting almost desperately in Sasori's shirt as he struggled to find the words. "W-w-whe…" His head exploded as he grabbed for it, flashes of images coming to his mind. He remembered Itachi teaching him to throw a kunai, carrying him through the village, bandaging his legs. Those memories turned false, and he saw Itachi between his legs, Itachi pressing him against a tree, Itachi lowering him down on his… Sasuke screamed to get rid of the false flashes, slamming Sasori against the side of the mountain where Madara Uchiha's head stood. "Where is my brother!?"

Blood poured unnoticed down his face, dripping on the ground as he stared Sasori down. He no longer had any doubt that this man had been lying to him. He had been deceiving him all along. He had been keeping Itachi from him.

Sasori didn't seem phased by Sasuke's anger. No, he just reached down into the teen's pocket to pull out the medicine, bringing it to his lips and making him drink. Sasuke's eyes went hazy, dropping to his knees as the sweet relief of the nothingness the tonic provided washed over him. "There's going to be a day where the medicine no longer works, Sasuke." He told him as Sasuke let his head fall to his knees. "You'll have to decide by then if you want to continue to stand in the sun, or follow the trail of breadcrumbs into the darkness."

Sasuke felt a hand in his spikes, stroking them almost delicately, but he knew Sasori had said all he had to say. He knew he had pushed his teacher too far. ...But he also now knew that Sasori had seen Itachi. His sensei knew where his brother was, and all he had to do was make a plan to go get him. That didn't matter now though. Nothing mattered when he thought about sleeping without any nightmares. He slumped over as his eyes shut, considering the bliss lying ahead of him at the prospect of a dreamless sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sasuke was still high by the time he finally managed to get to Kakashi's house. He was dressed in dark jeans and a dark blue shirt that he had focused on buttoning in the mirror for almost a half hour before he managed. ...He supposed there were side effects to Sasori's tonic. It almost felt like he was drunk for the majority of the day. This was fine when it was his day off and he could sleep his way through it. It was less good when he was expected to be at his guardians' house for a birthday dinner. He knocked, attempting to look normal as he took in the familiar surroundings. Just what would he have done if they hadn't taken him in as a child? Just how alone would he have been if he hadn't gotten a new set of guardians? ...Parents really in every meaning of the word.

Naruto was the one that opened the door, and Sasuke grunted as he was immediately yanked forward into his arms. "Where have you been!?" Was the anxious comment, and Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. He smiled, lazily wrapping his arms around him as he nuzzled into his neck.

"You worry too much," He managed, the words heavy in his mind as his hands trailed up Naruto's hips. ...Yeah...the medicine had other side effects as well. "I tried to find you at home," He murmured into his neck, inhaling that almost citrus like smell he associated with his lover. "I even laid in bed naked hoping you would find me, but you never came."

He heard a sigh coming from the left of Naruto's very inviting neck as he dragged his head away, noticing how rosy Naruto's cheeks had become. He smiled at the man who was frowning at the two of them. "Sorry, Kakashi...got a bit carried away."

"Are you drunk?" Kakashi asked. "Here I thought you had just stumbled into adulthood today and may practice a bit more self-restraint."

"Oh give them a break Kakashi!" His other guardian said, and Sasuke grinned at his other guardian, taking in the covered eye and the grinning face. "It's his birthday, he can party if he wants to."

"Don't encourage him Obito," Kakashi scolded, frowning at his lover as he was pulled back against his chest. "Though I suppose if you're already halfway there you might as well come all the way inside for a drink," Kakashi conceded with a sigh.

Obito grinned after him. "Don't let him fool you into thinking he doesn't drink," Obito reached out to grab Sasuke's chin, tilting him up to look at his eyes. "Just like you can't fool me into thinking that's sake on your breath. You told us the headaches were better,"

Sasuke's thoughts were sluggish as he considered that. Well...they were better right now. He supposed it wouldn't be too much of a lie if he told him that. "They are better. Just had a bad nightmare this morning,"

Naruto jumped to his defense. "He hardly has them at all anymore, Obito-san. He's getting better." Sasuke wondered vaguely if Naruto believed it when he lied to himself like that. ...Probably not.

"Practically healed," He continued the lie to his guardian. His only family. Obito had been presumed dead. He had been imprisoned by the Akatsuki for most of his life. That was before they had come out of the woodwork with their master plan. That was before they had taken over. Obito had escaped and had come for Sasuke when he was 9. He had taken him in...his only family left besides his wayward brother. It hadn't taken long after that for Kakashi to move in with them.

It had been Obito that had pushed him to join the ANBU, it had been Obito that had helped him with his leads towards the murderer of his clan, it had been Obito that had suggested Naruto could move in as well when they were 12. It's not like his dobe had any family either, and the four of them fit together. A perfect family. Well...as perfect as two orphans could find he supposed.

"You're not a very good liar, Sasuke," His cousin murmured, but let it go as he headed after Kakashi.

"You got more medicine?" Naruto asked, pulling him back close. "You wouldn't have taken it if you didn't have another attack. Was it bad?"

Sasuke leaned forward then, kissing him as his lips trailed lazily to his cheek and then down his perfectly sculpted chin. "Nothing I can't handle Dobe...Don't you trust me?"

Naruto scoffed, but didn't pull away. "When it comes to your health? When it comes to how much you like to torture yourself? No...not at all. Not even a bit." Naruto pulled him back so that he could look at him properly, and Sasuke smiled playfully at him as he saw his dobe frowning. "We have to do something different about the headaches, Sas…"

"Let's go get a drink," Sasuke interrupted, not wanting to have this familiar fight yet again. Not today. Not when he had just come to the first proof that his brother was out there somewhere.

"Sasuke…" Naruto tried, tired frustration in his tone. "Babe...You can't just ignore this."

Watch him. "I have a mission coming up tomorrow, did I tell you that?" He asked his lover as he poured both of them a glass of sake.

"No," Naruto managed, but Sasuke heard the annoyance in that tone as he handed him the glass. Naruto seemed to be debating with himself if he was going to push the issue. "I suppose I can't ask you where to. Can you at least tell me if you're leaving the territory?"

"Yes," He told him, ignoring the frown that creased Naruto's face.

"It's dangerous out there, Sasuke. Why are you the one that always has to leave?" Because he wasn't a coward. Because it gave him a little excitement. Because the man in the orange mask was out there, and so was his brother.

"I'll be fine," He assured his lover. "I'm always fine. I'm not a Captain because I'm weak, Naruto. Obviously don't have a Jinchuuriki, but I'm not weak."

"I'd rip it out and give it to you if I could," Naruto growled. "At least then you wouldn't act like this every time you mentioned it." Hands came to his hips, and Sasuke looked up as Naruto's eyes flashed red. "Do you think I want this inside me?"

Sasuke stood his ground, not backing down to the monster inside of him. "I think it makes you special. I think it's the only thing keeping Konoha free from the Akatsuki. I think it's what is going to make you Hokage some day." Sasuke downed the glass of sake. "Why wouldn't you want it?" He growled. He went to pull away and join his guardians in the dining room, but Naruto grabbed him and pulled him back almost roughly.

"Why are you being like this today!?" He asked, and those nails dug in hard enough to bruise. Sasuke would never admit how much that turned him on. "Is it because of this morning? What I asked?"

"Gods don't bring it up again…" Sasuke begged, gritting his teeth as Naruto's temper grew along with his nails.

"So it is about the baby?" Naruto shot back.

"There is no baby," Sasuke promised him. "There is never going to be a baby. I am not your goddamn housewife...my dear future Hokage," He hissed, shoving Naruto away from him and grabbing the bottle as he headed in towards the food.

What did Naruto think was going to happen? They were going to get married? They were going to have a son who would be the next Hokage? Would Sasuke be known in the village as the Hokage's consort? As a kept pet who had to give up his position to tend to a child? He wasn't ready to be that ordinary yet. He wasn't ready to give up his life to walk in Naruto's shadow, no matter how much he loved him.

He sat down next to Kakashi, who eyed the bottle in his hand. "Are you planning on sharing that?" He asked his ward, and Sasuke grinned as he poured them all glasses as Naruto came in to sit down.

"Of course, Sensei," He commented. After all, he may be a jounin now, but Kakashi would always be his original teacher. Even if he had a new master now, one that lied to him. Sasori kept secrets, but Sasuke was very good at getting secrets out. He just wished the ones he loved didn't feel the need to lie to him.

He felt Naruto's searching hand grasp the one laying on his lap, and he glanced over to the blond. He smiled softly at him as he squeezed the hand back, giving him his forgiveness. They would talk about this later...of course they would, but he hated fighting with him. He hated when Naruto was angry with him, and he knew his dobe felt the same. They weren't ready to have a kid...but maybe...maybe someday they would be. Maybe someday Sasuke would realize why when he thought about his future with Naruto he felt so hollow.

Kakashi reached out to ruffle his spikes. "Happy birthday, brat. I can't believe I managed to raise you into an adult," He pointed out.

"Didn't take much work," Obito pointed out. "Sasuke practically raised himself. I've never seen a more focused child in my life. Of course, having Naruto to compare to you really had the advantage, didn't you?"

"Hey!" Naruto shot out, affronted. "I'm focused!"

"Yes yes," Obito agreed placatingly. "You are very driven towards your goal. You are also messy, loud, and you spent a good portion of your adolescent life stinking like BO," He teased him as Naruto glared.

"Well we all can't be perfect and preen ourselves like Sasuke,' He pointed out, but the hand under the table squeezed harder.

"I don't preen," Sasuke pointed out. "I'm just naturally sexy,"

"And clearly not full of yourself," Kakashi pointed out with a laugh, dealing out the food as he rose his glass. "However, I will go ahead and add to your already extraordinarily large ego and say a toast," Kakashi pointed out, standing and ignoring the way Sasuke blushed at the attention. "Sasuke, when you came into our lives I had just found something precious to me. I didn't realize I would be getting something even more so." He looked to Obito, winking. "No offense," He turned back. "You have grown into an amazing young man. You are one of the most cherished jounin in the village, and have risen to a rank in the ANBU that is enviable to even the most seasoned shinobi. You are a great partner to Naruto and Sakura, and you are an even better son to us." Sasuke looked to the ground then, cheeks hot and eyes stinging as his hand shook in Naruto's own. Kakashi laughing is what made him glance back up. "You hide your face when I call you son. What makes you think you aren't?"

"I...I…" Sasuke cleared his throat as he fought through the haze. "You took me in. I'll never forget your kindness," He told them both. "But you don't have to consider me a son. I lost my family. I am grateful to have found a new one, but I'm not selfish enough to have thought that you would want me," He stopped himself, eyes burning with embarrassment and emotion as he leaned into the arm Naruto wrapped around him. "Thank you," He just said, keeping his face hidden as he raised his glass into the toast. "Thank you all. I don't think I deserve your kindness, but I don't know where I would be without it."

Naruto kissed his cheek, laying his forehead against his dark spikes. "Happy birthday, baby." He managed, and then raised his glass. "To Sasuke," He said, and Sasuke heard an echo from his two guardians in the room. Sasuke smiled as they clinked their glasses, and he thought for not the first time what would have happened to him if Obito and Kakashi hadn't taken him in. How could he even think about being lonely when he had this family? How could he be this happy and yet, not the first time, wish his brother was there. What he wouldn't give to have Itachi there to wish him a happy birthday...to say he was proud of him. What he wouldn't give to have his beloved answers to just where his Aniki had gone.

Sasuke was in the kitchen doing the dishes after dinner when Obito came in. He paused in his task as his cousin leaned against the counter, turning towards his guardian as he dried his hands. "Thank you again for…"

"I have another birthday present for you," Obito interrupted the formalities, and Sasuke noticed his eye was dark and intense. His gaze was focused on him as he held up a slip of paper.

Sasuke glanced at the piece of paper, raising his eyebrow. "Is it the location of my pony? You know I've always wanted a pony," He said sarcastically. "Naruto and I can keep it in our living room. Like a puppy,"

"It's something much better than a pony," Obito assured him, ignoring the sarcasm. "I found something. A lead on the murderer."

Sasuke's heart stopped dead as his eyes widened, flooding with the sharingan as he watched his guardian, as if searching for any lie that could come from his lips. "How? There has never been any…" He swallowed as he tried to calm down. "What did you find out?"

"He's in the Akatsuki," Obito said, a lilt of tease in his tone. "But then you knew that. You've been theorizing that since you were 15."

"I never had any proof," Sasuke pointed out, mouth having gone dry as he gripped the edge of the sink.

"Here's your proof," Obito handed over the paper. "I think you're old enough now to handle it. One of the leaders is the murderer of your clan. That's their location. What are you going to do about it?"

Sasuke stared down at the coordinates as he felt chakra whipping through him, wanting to explode in his anger as he remembered every death he had witnessed. He remembered that man holding him down, torturing him and making him witness their murders over and over again. "You can't tell Naruto. He can't leave the territory," Sasuke managed, his voice sounded sharp as a knife. There was death in his tone as sparks left his fingertips.

"I won't tell him," Obito agreed. "However, you know he'll go after you if he knows where you're going."

"He thinks I'm going on a mission," Sasuke said, voice still having that strange edge.

"Meaning you already intended to leave?" Obito gave a small laugh. "You found out something today, didn't you?"

"I found a lead on Itachi," Sasuke murmured, never feeling the need to lie to his cousin. He always seemed to know anyways.

"Did you?" Obito asked, only he didn't seem that surprised. "My my...such a interesting birthday, isn't it? So which murderer will you seek out?"

"My brother isn't a murderer," Sasuke growled at him, because he was the only one allowed to have doubts over his wayward family.

Obito laughed full heartedly this time, shaking his head as he eyed Sasuke. "Dear boy, whatever gives you the idea that Itachi isn't a murderer?"

Sasuke glared at his cousin. "How would you know, Obito?" He asked him, teeth gritted as he held up the piece of paper. "How long have you had this information?"

"You weren't ready before," Obito informed him, not denying he had been holding onto it.

"Why am I ready now?" Sasuke asked him, and knew he wouldn't get an answer as Obito just gave that same infuriating smile. "Will you watch out for Naruto while I'm gone?" He asked instead. 

"Don't I always?" Obito questioned with a head tilt. "You're not our only orphan,"

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I hope he gets an equally as embarrassing speech for his birthday,"

"Now now...you know all my sentimentality is reserved for my spiky haired brat," Obito teased him. "Now, go get your answers. I'll make your excuses here. It has to be tonight."

"Why does it have to be tonight?" Sasuke asked, but knew he wasn't going to get an answer as Obito moved towards the unfinished dishes.

"I would use the window if I were you," Obito remarked. "And don't forget your sword,"

"When have I ever forgotten my sword?" Sasuke remarked back as he opened the window and began to crawl out.

"Oh, and Sasuke?" Obito asked as Sasuke glanced back. "I really hope you find your answers."

Sasuke grinned back at him, even though his heart was pounding with nervous anticipation. "Thank you cousin. You managed to make this the most memorable birthday I've ever had," He said before disappearing out into the night. He would find his answers, and then maybe...just maybe...the nightmares would stop for good.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

A.N- I hope this wasn't too confusing to anyone! I really tried to build this new world that Sasuke had created. I promise more of this new existence and the secrets around it will begin to unfold. Sasuke really built himself a happy world, and yet wrecked everything at the same time. He's happy, and yet as discontent as always. I hope his brightness kind of carried through into the writing. It is kind of fun to write a happy Sasuke. More answers coming in the next chapter I promise, and hopefully we will get a glimpse of this world's Itachi ;) Thanks for reading!


	3. The Betrayal of Innocence

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 3: Betrayal of Innocence

Sasuke had gone back to their apartment and changed into his ANBU gear. He loaded kunai and shuriken along his legs, placing the sword down his back in the sheath. He adjusted his gloves and grabbed extra camping supplies in case he was stuck in the outer territories for too long. His eyes wandered across their bedroom. Naruto's clothes were all flung haphazardly around the floor, even though he knew that drove Sasuke insane. There were little things they had agreed on...the decorum...the bed...the pictures. His eyes landed on the photo of when they had both graduated to the rank of chunin. They had only been dating for a few weeks at the time, but that didn't stop Naruto's arms from surrounding him in the photo.

He felt a sudden stab of guilt as he thought about how much this would hurt him. He would never accept the fact that Sasuke had learned about a possible lead and had left without him. He couldn't risk it. Naruto leaving the free territory was suicide. Not only that...he had left him at home for a much more selfish reason. When he finally saw Itachi again he knew his head was going to explode. He knew he would get images of horrible things...and he didn't want Naruto to find out why. He wanted to spare his dobe the knowledge that the person he had just wanted to make a baby with was fucked up beyond reason. He knew it was selfish...but he just needed to see his brother.

Naruto would forgive him eventually...he hoped.

He grabbed the photo before he could think of all the reasons he shouldn't. He tucked it carefully into his pocket as he left the apartment. He knew he might not be back for awhile. Naruto was used to that though. Sometimes his missions took weeks. As long as he didn't find out where he really went, well, ignorance was bliss.

Sasuke pulled the cloak over his head as he jumped into the trees. He sprinted through the night as the wind whipped at his face. It wasn't hard to pick up Sasori's trail. ...As a matter of fact it was almost too easy. He felt nervous at the way Obito and Sasori had all but led him out of the free territory by the nose. Obito had been insistent that it be tonight, and Sasuke was too brimming with excitement to argue.

How could he not be? Not only was there a lead on Itachi, but there was a lead on that orange masked bastard from that night. He wanted to speak to them both. He wanted to find out what really happened. The man had shown him the deaths of his clan, and had said he owned Itachi. Did that mean that his brother had helped? Did it mean he was telling the truth when he had found him that night? He had never known for sure, and so even then, bawling and ruined as an eight year old, he had told the Hokage that Itachi hadn't been the one to do it.

He had lied for his brother, because if there was a mistake, well, then Itachi could come home. He was so pathetically lonely that he was willing to do anything to get part of his family back. He didn't know if they believed him. Honestly, he didn't care. They hadn't told everyone it was Itachi. It was an unknown murderer. He was labeled crazy until Obito returned. His cousin had shut down the rumors. His cousin had brought back proof that the Akatsuki existed. That was before of course they made their presence known to the world.

Sasuke's foot pressed to a branch, springing quickly through the air. He had sensed somebody following him a few miles back. They hadn't made a move yet, and he wanted more information on his opponent before he reacted. He could sense at least 2 chakra points. ...A trap then after all, but they clearly didn't know him very well if they didn't think he could take two shinobi.

He heard a branch break, and grabbed his sword just in time to spin around. He slashed forward and through what looked like a giant clay eagle flying towards his face. He fell backwards as he cut through another flying bird, flipping midair to land on his haunches on the ground. The hood of his cloak flew back as he scanned the area above him. He shot back as 50 other birds came at him from all sides. He made the hand signs, blowing out flames at the clay while he ran to the side. He pressed his back to the bark of a tree, pulling out a handful of kunai as he glanced around to try to catch sight of who was attacking.

"Come on out puppy," A voice sing-songed through the trees. "It's a beautiful night out for a kidnapping." Sasuke flung himself towards another tree as giants spiders began to crawl all over the one he was at, exploding and sending him flying forward.

His ears were ringing as he spun around, disoriented as the forest was now on fire around him. "Kidnapping?" He asked. "For who?"

"Someone who wants all the pretty secrets in your head," That voice called, almost amused sounding as Sasuke dove away from another round of explosions. "We'll crack it open and he can just pull out the ones he wants. We'll feed the rest to Zetsu. Don't you think?" He asked, but Sasuke didn't think it was directed at him.

"I think Zetsu prefers something other than brains. I hear they're high in cholesterol." Sasuke froze at that, because he recognized that name.

"Sasori?" He asked unbelievingly, feeling like an idiot as he gave up his position. He hardly had time to fling himself up a tree before another explosion rang out through the forest.

"My man, did you just make a joke?" The other asked, and from his vantage point Sasuke could see who was talking now. It was a man with long blond hair tied up and a scope for an eye. He was wearing an Akatsuki cloak, which wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that Sasori was wearing a matching one of his own.

"Traitor!" Sasuke screamed down as they both glanced up. "I trusted you!"

"When did I ever give you a reason to trust me?" Sasori asked. "I found you wallowing in your own misery, and I used it to my advantage. I told you not to trust those around you. Why would you ever assume I wasn't referring to myself?"

Sasuke glared as he tried to wrap his head around the situation, and why someone he thought of as not only a teacher, but as a friend would be working for those bastards. "So you're with the Akatsuki?"

"Uhhhh duh." He heard the blond mock, and Sasuke sent kunai flying through the air out of pure spite. "That's not how you should treat your friends."

"You aren't my friends!" Sasuke screamed, anger lashing through him as he began to spring through the trees. If this was really a trap he needed to get away from here fast. He only knew Sasori's abilities, and knew he would be practically impossible to best in battle. That said nothing for that other smug bastard that was down there with him. If he could get away then he would be able to come up with a plan.

"No good to run puppy!" He heard that voice sing song behind him again. "We're taking you back to your new gilded cage, but don't worry! I'll come by and give you treats!"

"Freak!" He called behind him, hardly getting his weapon up in front of him as puppet strings flew past him, dragging a body with them as Sasori appeared in front of his path. Their swords clashed as Sasuke brought his own up to block. He gritted his teeth at the power behind his sensei's blows.

"I taught you your swordplay. Do you really think you can best me, Sasuke?" Sasori asked. "We came to talk."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke asked sarcastically. "I could clearly see that from the exploding arachnids flying at my face." He shoved at the sword to knock it back, before clashing with him more as he drove him through the trees.

"Deidara can get a little excited. Besides, it would pathetic if any of those had hit you," Sasori grumbled as they sparred. "I've taught you better than that."

"All the years we've know each other, and you've been working for them!" He screamed, sharingan flooding his eyes.

"Obviously, Sasuke. I did tell you to open your eyes," They flew through the trees, and Sasuke looked up to see Deidara flying over them while riding a giant falcon. "You've been coddled in that village. It's time you see just what the world looks like. I'll do everything I can to petition for your life when it's all over."

"When what is over?" He bit out through his teeth.

Sasori sighed in disappointment. "Why in the world would you be lured out on your own, Sasuke?" He asked him, rolling his eyes.

"Puppy's going to be bait!" Deidara called from above them, flying the exact speed they were fighting as they fought through the trees.

Sasuke felt himself slip to the side a little at that, feeling idiotic as he realized just what he meant. "Naruto," He whispered, hissing as Sasori slicing at his distracted arm, cutting him down to the bone as he fell backwards onto a tree limb.

"Yes, the Kyuubi." Sasori agreed, leaning down in front of him and placing the sword against his neck. "Our Leader's patience has finally run out. Too many people are relying on the free zone as their last hope of survival. As long as it exists the Akatsuki can't truly rule."

"Naruto is the Kyuubi!" Sasuke growled. "It will take an army to stop him,"

Deidara snorted from above him, "Well good thing we have an army," He joked.

"Yes, but we won't need an army," Sasori pointed out. "We'll only need you. The one he loves the most in this world. He won't fight us."

"No!" Sasuke yelled at him, aiming a kunai towards the chest leaning near him, trying to crack through the breastplate of the puppet.

Sasori caught his wrist with the puppet strings before it could reach him, gripping his chin with his other hand. "Yes," He sighed again. "The pain is going to start soon. It will be unbearable. If you feel your body pulling you towards unconsciousness you should take the hint."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke growled, Sharingan rotating in his eyes with his anger.

"I tried to teach you this lesson earlier," Sasori started just as the worst pain he had ever felt lashed its way through his gut. "You can make a poison to kill, or you can make one to prove a point."

"You poisoned me?" Sasuke asked, bending over as he wretched, blood from his stomach spilling over his lips and down his chin.

"Yes," Sasori murmured. "It's the recipe you've been working on. It was in your medicine. It's amazing how trusting you were to just drink."

"You've given it to me countless…" Sasuke threw up again, clutching at the bark as the front of his uniform was now covered in blood as his head swam.

"Yes, I've given it to you multiple times. You trusted the formula and so you would never question drinking it. A useful means of assassination, don't you agree? Get the target to trust you first. That way they do not question their choice of food or drink around you. That way it is less likely that anyone would suspect you."

"You want to...kill..kill…" He vomited more blood as his entire body broke out in a cold sweat.

"Of course I don't want to kill you," Sasori murmured, and actually clapped him on the back of the head. "This was your mixture. This is what you wanted your victims to go through before they died. Think about that next time you're developing a poison." Sasori pulled out a vile, pressing it to Sasuke's mouth, and the Uchiha drank it like he was dying knowing it was the antidote.

"Sasori stop playing with your food!" Deidara called from above, and Sasuke looked up with a glare. He really hated whoever that asshole was.

Sasuke shoved Sasori back, feeling spots in his vision as he grabbed for his sword and lunged with his chakra towards a nearby tree. He ran up it, flying high enough through the air that he was over the clay bird, coming down at downward angle and slicing his way through the bastard's shoulder.

Blood sprayed around them from the severed limb as Deidara screamed out in pain. He collapsed forward onto the clay bird, puking up more of what he could only imagine was literally his guts as black appeared around his vision from the blood loss.

"You son of a bitch!" He heard Deidara scream as he struggled to push himself up. "Bad puppy!" Was screeched at him before something cracked hard into the back of his head.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"What do you think you're hoping to accomplish by this pointless struggling?" A taunting voice asked. Sasuke's eyes followed the bastard as he circled him. The diadem was bloody on his forehead from where Kabuto had tried to slice it off of him. His arms had gone numb hours ago as he was hung up like a stuffed turkey. That's what he was to them, wasn't it? He was their food.

"What can I say? Us Uchiha's are a stubborn bunch," He bit out, teeth nearly cracking as he struggled not the scream as a red hot poker was jammed through his calf. Blood dripped below him onto the ground as that sadist yanked it back out again, and Sasuke couldn't help the scream of pain as it tore through his muscles. At this rate he would be hamstrung and wouldn't be able to run again. ...Though at this rate, what did it matter? It had been 8 days and Itachi still wasn't here. At this point...what the hell would he even be saving?

"Maybe I should just cut that silver tongue out of your mouth, eh?" Kabuto asked, coming over to where Sasuke hung and grabbing his chin to pry open his mouth. "Don't worry...I can sew it back in. It will make things easier for Lord Orochimaru, don't you think?" He questioned as Sasuke struggled. "Maybe I should just rip out all your teeth while I'm at it? Maybe then you won't make such playful quips?"

Sasuke scowled at the man. "What's the matter Kabuto? You pissed because Orochimaru wants to fuck me and not you?" Sasuke leaned into him, glaring with his mismatched eyes as he met those cruel sadistic ones. "Trust me, you weren't missing anything."

"Oh I forgot, you only like them when they share your DNA," He growled at him, and held up the scalpel. "Didn't I tell you to mind your tongue?" He asked, and Sasuke struggled in the bindings as he was pulled closer. He screamed a wretched bloody gurgle as that scalpel slid like butter through the muscle of his tongue. "Don't worry Uchiha," Kabuto said cruelly. "I told you I'd put it back. Let's see just how much I can cut off you before he comes running." Sasuke was spitting up mouthfuls of blood as those cruel lips pressed against his ear. "Or is that the truth of the matter, Uchiha? Deep down you know in your heart. He's going to leave you here to rot." He grabbed his chin, using one of the hot poker to sear his mouth closed before he bled to death, making sure those pained eyes looked at him. "Itachi Uchiha will never come for you."

,,,,,,,

Sasuke woke up in pain, which wasn't strange for him. Not after one of his nightmares, but what was strange was the way he had awoken. He often dreamed of those chains. They were a plague throughout his life. He was terrified to be handcuffed...terrified to be bound. Naruto had once tried to spice things up with him by tying him to the headboard, and Sasuke had had such a massive panic attack over it that Naruto had to hold him and calm him down for over three hours. That had only ended when he finally fell asleep after an entire bottle of sake and a few swigs of Sasori's medicine. ...Needless to say Naruto never tried that kinky bit of fun ever again.

He couldn't explain it. He didn't understand the nightmares or where they had come from. He couldn't explain his reaction to being tied up. Escape jutsus hadn't exactly been a dream growing up. Kakashi also had to deal with his panic attacks over the subject. He wasn't near as doting as Naruto was when he would be choking on his own tears, but Sasuke knew he cared.

Sasuke shifted, trying not to react to his pain and panic. He swayed slightly in the bindings, his headache coming on full force as he realized his arms were stretched above his head and that he was dangling above the ground. His toes wiggled a little, not able to reach the ground. ...Well...he supposed that explained the dream. He was in the exact same position he always was for those torture sessions.

Once he realized how he was bound, the panic began to set in regardless of his self control. His heart pounded in his chest, feeling like it was beating so fast it was ricocheting off his ribs. His head exploded, making him cringe despite himself as blood poured from his nose. His breathing became erratic as his lungs couldn't keep up with his heart. He was panting as he began to struggle, the blood pouring down onto his lips and into his mouth as he finally opened his eyes. ...Honestly...he wished he hadn't. He wished he had let himself live in that bliss ignorance that blindness provides.

"What's wrong with him?" He heard Deidara ask as some giant man worked on his arm. Sasuke's eyes scanned the room to see at least 8 others surrounding him. They were all in black cloaks with red clouds. ...The Akatsuki. He was tied up by the Akatsuki. His panic only increased. Every ounce of training he had in his life was fleeing from his mind. All he could think about was his nightmare. All he could feel was the cold bite of the chains digging into his wrist.

"He's terrified," Sasori mumbled, and Sasuke turned pleading eyes towards the traitor. ...The person he thought one of his closest friends. He would accept any help he could get at this point. Just no more of this...not ever. "Are you going to do something?" He asked, and Sasuke assumed he was talking to him, but his breathing had now become so erratic that he was beginning to become lightheaded. He struggled against the bindings, trying to feel for any weak point on the chain. He was dead, wasn't he? He was some dead animal hanging from a string as they waited to chop him up. He couldn't do anything. Sasori's ridiculously high standards were lost on him.

"Poor thing," Deidara cooed. "He's like a baby bunny trapped in a snare...just waiting for a hunter to come along and break his neck. He's pretty though. He looks a lot like you," There were spots in his eyes by this point, but Sasuke could see he was talking to someone other than Sasori. He looked around the room, trying to focus on a line of sight. However, he was too focused on the nightmare in his head to realize the nightmare he was currently in.

He saw one of them step out of the shadows, and if Sasuke had any breath at all it would have been taken away as he saw him. "Ta-chi…" He managed to get out between gasps as he saw that face. He was aged, of course he was, the last time he had seen Itachi he had been a teenager. Now he was in his early twenties and had grown into all of his features. His hair was longer than it had been, his eyes colder and more cruel. His mouth was set in a frown as he eyed him, and he could only imagine what he might be thinking about at this pathetic display. What was he doing here? His mind refused to make the connections in its panicked state, only struggling more in his bindings as he saw him.

Itachi stood in front of him then, and it was the closest he had been to his only brother since the night of the massacre when...no...Itachi didn't do it. It was that man...the man in the orange mask from the Akatsuki. It was a joke that he had thought his head had hurt before. It exploded as he saw Itachi, the other drawing closer to him as it all became too much...it was too much.

"Breathe, Otouto," Was the issued command, and Sasuke stilled in his bindings the moment he looked up into sharingan eyes. He had no doubt in his mind Itachi hadn't really asked. He was enthralled as he watched him. His dark eyes scanned every inch of that pale perfect face, as if he could memorize every detail before he disappeared from his life again. ...Before he left him again.

Sasuke's toes dangled off the ground as hands came up then, fingers pressing gently to each of his temples. Itachi massaged his head, and the second he touched him he let out a longing moan of appreciation. The pain ebbed away as if it had never even been there. For the first time in his life he felt utter peace in the battered thing he called his skull. It was better than the medicine. It was better than anything he had ever felt in his life. The pain wasn't just numbed from the medicine...it was gone...truly gone.

A very undignified sound came from his lips as Itachi's fingers continued to knead his temples, but he supposed that was alright. Everyone in the room had already seen how scared he was to be there. He supposed after that a little noise was just gravy. His toes curled at the wonderful feeling, finally calm enough to flicker his dark eyes up to Itachi's red. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice breathy and far away. He felt drugged the longer he looked into those eyes, like he really had taken the medicine. Itachi's fingers went to pull away then, and Sasuke made a noise of protest. "Don't...please...I can't handle the pain right now. I need to think."

Itachi had hesitated at his protest, but then slowly pulled his hands away anyways. "It won't hurt anymore," He told him, and Sasuke didn't buy for one second the confidence in his voice. It always hurt.

"How do you know?" Sasuke questioned, and for all he cared they might as well have been the only two in the room. His brother...after so long. He had found him. Fucking finally.

"I just do," Itachi assured him, and Sasuke smiled at him then. He forgot the self-confidence his brother always exuded in any situation. He had forgotten so much about him.

"No doubt," Sasuke bit his lip to try to dull the smile, but he couldn't quite manage it. "My genius Aniki always did know everything." His eyes did flicker around then, seeing the Akatsuki surrounding them now. "Are you going to kill me?"

Itachi rose an eyebrow, and he almost looked...amused. "Are you going to make me?" He reached out then, thumb dragging across Sasuke's bottom lip and coming away red. "You're a mess."

Sasuke gave a wry chuckle at that, swallowing hard as he nodded. "Headaches...they're a bitch, but then you already knew that, right? Sasori is standing just over there. I should have known."

"There are a lot of things you should have known, Otouto. Please enlighten me to what you're referring to?" Itachi asked mockingly.

"That you were here...That he's controlling you," Sasuke accused.

"He?" Itachi questioned, and Sasuke's eyes flickered around as he heard the laughing coming from around the room.

Sasuke glowered at them, feeling his heart rate spike at the loss of focus. He turned back to Itachi, his eyes harder now, amusement gone. He had never liked being laughed at. "The man with the orange mask."

He saw recognition flicker on his face. Not only that, but pain. He saw tragedy and death in Itachi's features, before that veiled amusement was back to wash away the sorrow. "You're right about one thing, he did control me. He's dead though. For 10 years now."

"You're lying!" Sasuke growled, trying to rock in his chains and hissing as it jarred his shoulders.

"Trust me, Otouto...I wouldn't lie about him," He said it like a promise. Itachi sighed, eyes dragging over his form that was covered in blood. "He was very special to me."

"He was a murderer!" Sasuke bit right back, sharingan flooding to his eyes as he glared hatred at his brother for defending the slaughterer of their clan. The ruiner of their lives!

"Yes," Itachi agreed. "Have you never killed anyone before, Otouto? Were you not training to be an assassin with Sasori?"

"That's different," Sasuke growled. "He took away 'our' life. He took away 'our' people," He said it with such force and conviction that it felt like he had been slapped when Itachi began to laugh. His eyes were wide as he stared at him incredulously.

"Sasuke, you really did it this time," He said his name, and yet for some reason, it didn't seem like he actually met him. "What a fairytale you've been spun, Otouto." He said, dark humor etched into his face as he reached out, hands closing around his ribs as he pulled him close. "Would you like me to enlighten you?" He questioned, and Sasuke could smell the trees on his skin...the outdoor scent mixed with spice was almost exotic on his brother. "I. Killed. Them." He said pointedly, every word a dagger in his gut. "All of them. I will 'never' let him take that sin." Nails dug into his skin as he was yanked even closer. Their bodies pressed together as Sasuke ignored the pulse through his libido. Strangely enough...the headaches didn't come. "You're so good at hurting everyone, aren't you? As long as you hurt yourself the most."

Sasuke ignored the strange statement in lieu of what he had just heard. "He controlled you. He told me he told. He told me he made you," He ignored the way the tone in his voice was beginning to break as his world exploded. "You wouldn't. Why would you?" There was a strange almost gurgling quality to his voice as he stared into those cruel eyes. "They were our family!"

"You're my family," Itachi argued. He let Sasuke go as he swung slightly back in his chains. Itachi backed up as he motioned around. "Sasuke Uchiha, meet the Akatsuki. I know you've been searching when let off your leash."

"You're part of them? The ruiners of the world?" He questioned. "You should be so proud, Aniki. You're working for the devil."

"Umm duhhhh Puppy. He isn't working for us," Deidara said in amusement, and Sasuke glanced as the huge man was sewing on his new arm. "He's our Leader."

Sasuke's stomach dropped at that, and he noticed the dark look Itachi shot towards Deidara. The blond sunk back into the shadows, obviously terrified. Sasuke couldn't care less if that bastard got in trouble. Not with what he had just learned. Rage welled up in his veins as it exploded. Chakra lashed up both of his arms and spiraled up the chain as electricity covered his body with the conduction.

"You son of a bitch!" He screamed, swinging his body using the chakra as he led with his foot. He smashed his sandal into Itachi's face, the electricity exploding down his leg with chidori as it met at the same point of impact. He felt bone and sinew break and give, before exploding into a mass of crows. A substitution jutsu. He didn't even know why he was surprised. "Don't hide from me!" He screamed, and growled as he was grabbed from behind. A kunai was placed at his throat, quieting his fighting actions as it pressed to his pulse.

"What was your plan here, Otouto? You going to smash my face in while chained and then take on 9 other Akatsuki members?" He questioned directly into his ear. The voice sent a shiver down his spine even in his rage.

"I'd settle for just smashing in your face," Sasuke growled right back at him. "You going to kill me like the rest of our clan? Do it...or watch your back for the rest of your life you traitor because I swear to the gods I will kill you!"

"Let's not play that game again, Otouto. You lose...trust me." Sasuke turned his face towards Itachi, spitting in his face.

He watched Itachi wipe the splatter from the eyes so similar to his own. "I'm never going to trust you again. I trusted you for 10 years. I defended you to the Hokage...to the council! I defended you to Obito and Kakashi."

He heard more laughter in the room at that, and he hated them all. He despised them for taking the image of his brother away from him. "Enough!" He heard Itachi hiss, and realized he wasn't talking to him. "My brother has had enough secrets for today."

Sasuke turned back to him, still dangling in the same chains as he lost the innocence of his childhood. He had 'always' believed in Itachi. He had believed that someday his niisan would come back for him, but Itachi Uchiha would never come for him. "More secrets?" He asked, remembering Sasori's words. "Who else has been lying to me?"

"I assume a lot of people, Otouto. Quite a few by my bidding, but as I said we aren't going to talk about that tonight." He murmured, and the kunai began to trail down his neck. "I'm more interested in how you can finally prove you're worth a damn and help us."

Sasuke's sharingan eyes flickered to his brother's, noticing the way the kunai had begun to travel lower, trailing down his chest. Itachi was close, holding onto one hip as he didn't seem to mind what he was doing in front of the other members. Why was he touching him so casually? Why weren't the headaches coming? "I'd sooner bite off my own tongue." He hissed softly, trying to pull away as his chin was grabbed.

"You'd be surprised how resilient the human mouth is," Itachi whispered, and a shiver ran down his spine as the knife pressed against his belly.

"You're psychotic," Sasuke whispered right back in reply, feeling Itachi's soft breath against his face.

Fingertips traced along his cheek then as those familiar sharingan eyes flickered over his features. "Very much so, Otouto. Someday soon I will show you how much, but I don't think you're ready for that yet." Lips pressed gently against his ear. "But you will be,"

"Itachi, don't you think we should question him?" Sasori asked, and Sasuke broke his eyes away from his brother's and whatever wicked jutsu he was trying to put him under.

"Does it not look like I'm questioning him?" Itachi questioned, and the kunai pressed hard against his stomach as he heard the tense anger in his voice.

"Honestly?" Sasori questioned. "I don't know what the hell it looks like you're doing. I didn't bring him here to be molested." The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as he didn't want to be his sensei with the way Itachi was looking at him. There was stillness for about 20 seconds before Sasori collapsed all the way across the room. Sasuke knew Sasori didn't feel pain, so whatever Itachi had done to him must have been much worse.

"Get him out of here," Itachi hissed to the other members, and Sasuke saw Deidara quickly help Sasori to his feet.

"Can I at least watch..." The blond tried, but was interrupted.

"Now Deidara," Itachi bit out, mood obviously sour as the other no longer hesistated as he escorted Sasori out of the room. Leaving seven still surrounding them. ...Seven was better than nine.

"Not that great of a Leader, are you? Guess you had to be bad at something in your life." He said sarcastically, still glowering at his brother as he was pulled close. "Are you molesting me, Niisan?" For some reason the disgust he knew he should be feeling wasn't there. Maybe it was because the betrayal in his life had already hit his limits, maybe it was because he had been dreaming of such a thing for years.

"Are you letting me?" Itachi asked after thinking about it. "What do you dream about?" He whispered into his ear, and his voice held an almost wistful searching desperation. The kunai dragged lower, catching on his dark pants and dragging them down at the waistband.

"You," He managed, refusing to lie to this bastard who did nothing but lie to him.

Itachi seemed amused at the honesty, as if he already knew the answer. Of course he did. "Good dreams I hope?"

"I thought they were," Sasuke clipped back. "But I'll just make sure to add them to my growing list of nightmares from now on," He had so many these days, what were a few more?

Itachi dragged the knife down his hip, and froze as it was revealed. Sasuke gasped as he was twisted at an unnatural angle in the chains to face his brother. His shoulder strained at the ball joint, close to popping out as he grit his teeth with the pain. He tried to kick him again, but Itachi had an almost death like grip on his waist.

Sasuke wanted to kill him. He wanted to attach him for causing him yet another round of pain tonight, but when he looked up he couldn't bring himself to try. Itachi looked stricken. The color had drained from his already pale face, making him almost luminous in the candle lit room. His eyes had faded from the sharingan, leaving him standing there with the dark pools Sasuke hadn't seen since he was a child. He was staring down at where his kunai had dragged, and Sasuke's own eyes followed his brother's down to the tattoo on his skin.

He blushed at the scrutiny of it, not knowing if the reason Itachi looked like this was that he was angry he would get the Uchiha mark. He had always wanted it there, the Uchiha fan, and him and Naruto had gotten too drunk one night and he couldn't talk himself out of it anymore. He had been drawing it there for years after all, and he was sick of Naruto mocking him for it.

"Itachi!" Sasuke screeched as hands reacted mercilessly as they ripped his pants halfway off, revealing more than a little of the dark curls of hair leading towards a place he would rather not expose to all of the Akatsuki. "What the hell is your problem!?"

"Why do you have it!?" Itachi all but screamed, and Sasuke saw more emotion etched across his brother's normally cold features than he thought he ever had. Itachi looked horrified. He looked like he was going to be sick. His thumb reached out, tracing over the mark almost reverently, which was a complete contrast to the horror across his features.

"It's a tattoo, Itachi! I can get a tattoo of my clan if I want to!" He tried, and the more he wriggled the more his pants began to slide down. "Let go of me you sick bastard!"

Itachi threw him. He swung so hard in the chains that he felt his shoulder snap like a twig. He cried out at the pain, glaring more at Itachi through it as he now hung at an unnatural angle. Pain lashed through his spine, and the headache came back full force.

"Did you think actually think I had any interest in you?" Itachi growled, and his eyes now held the mangekyou sharingan in his anger. Sasuke watched in fear and pain as the windmills swirled in his eyes. "You're. Not. Him." Sasuke's confusion was trampled by Itachi using his own sword to slice through the chain, sending him flying face first onto the floor. "Hidan!" Itachi bit out, obviously still more than a little upset as his normally stoic composure was shattered. "Take my brother and question him about the Kyuubi. I want to know everything about infiltration. Do not hold back because of who he is." Itachi glanced back at him one more time, and Sasuke saw the madness reflected deep the depths of those strange eyes. "Sasuke likes pain, consider it a birthday present, Otouto," He quipped before leaving the room. The door slammed in his ears as the one Itachi had called Hidan got close.

The pale haired man bent down in front of him, amusement stretched on his jovial features. "Don't worry little Uchiha, we're going to have fun."

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.


	4. Between Worlds

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 4: Between Worlds

Sasuke choked on blood as a cough racked through his broken body. He lay on a wooden bench in some sort of cell. He had passed out for awhile. He wished he was passed out now. Every inch of his body ached from Hidan's questions. That sadist knew how to hurt without marking. He knew every nerve in a human's body. He knew how to draw answers from his victim's lips. Sasuke hadn't talked though. Not one word. He may have been stupid enough to get himself into this situation, but he would be damned if he gave them one scrap of information they could use to hurt Naruto.

Naruto...gods what was he thinking right now? Was he worried about him yet? Did he have the intuition that he really wasn't on a mission? He swallowed another mouthful of the bitter metallic taste, wondering how much he would be able to get down before making himself sick. The Akatsuki had hinted that there was another spy in his life. ...It couldn't have been Naruto. Not his dobe...and not Kakashi...so that left…

"I heard you didn't answer any questions," Sasuke's stomach leapt at the sound of his brother's voice, too exhausted to do anything but slightly turn his head towards him. He whined as pain lashed through his skull, not even having the strength to grab for his temples. His eyes were bleary as he thought he might pass out again. Itachi tilt his head as he watched him, obviously knowing his ailment. He just didn't care. Why would he? He had just had him tortured for hours on end.

"Medicine?" Sasuke asked, not able to help that tinge of desperation in his voice. If Itachi wanted to have a conversation...or hell if he wanted to kill him, he couldn't do it with this pain in his head.

"You don't need it," Itachi whispered. "Do you know why your head hurts, Otouto?" He asked, and Sasuke watched as he opened the bars to his cell. "There are instances in your life that reverberate against something that has already happened to you. Those instances war with one another, and your brain tries to accommodate them both. It will likely kill you one day if you keep fighting it."

Sasuke didn't understand a word of that, because that couldn't possibly be true. "How could I possibly have someone else's memories?"

"Because you like to torture yourself," Itachi replied automatically, leaning down and brushing his fingertips across his forehead. Sasuke sighed in relief as the headache began to ebb. "Because you're stubborn. What do your dreams tell you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shifted, groaning in pain as his bruised and battered body suffered. "My dreams? How do you know about that?" He knew he should be jumping up to attack the bastard. He knew he should be fighting, but he would lose, so what was the point? He was too hurt to do anything but stare.

"I had dreams too. After that night in the village. I had a lot of dreams," Itachi's painted nails tilted his head up to meet his eyes, and Sasuke kind of wanted to spit in his face again. However, that wouldn't get him answers. "You did all of this. It would be impressive if it wasn't so infuriating."

"I didn't do…" Sasuke tried, but Itachi interrupted.

"That's what I thought for awhile. I thought there was no way you were the same person. I watched you grow up weak and pathetic, nothing like him," Itachi's fingers trailed lower, and Sasuke did try to fight him when he once more undid his pants, slipping them low again to reveal his tattoo. Sasuke's cheeks lit up with whatever mangled blood was still inside his body. This was different than that point out in front of the Akatsuki. They were alone. They were alone and Itachi's eyes were fixed on a point just above his sex.

Sasuke struggled with everything he had, trying to reach down to pull up the pants that were revealing far too much for his liking. He grunted as his hand was shoved away. "S-stop…" He managed, trying to shift away from view, but Itachi pinned his hip to the bench.

"Are you embarrassed?" Itachi asked, sounding almost amused. "You don't want me looking? What do you think you have there that I haven't seen before?" His eyes were alight with cruelty again, and Sasuke actually whined when his hands came to his waistband, and pulled them all the way off. "Should we just get this completely out of the way? Trust me, you don't need to be embarrassed of me seeing your cock." Sasuke struggled then, trying to make his muscles move as he fought off Itachi's hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Sasuke bit out, rolling his knees up and blocking Itachi's eyes from looking. "Freak!"

Itachi just sighed, and Sasuke let out a gurgled sound of pain as he was backhanded. His head slammed against the bench as his consciousness sang again, threatening to be wiped away. "What is wrong with me? Maybe you should glance down at yourself before you start throwing around such hurtful accusations," He taunted, and Sasuke didn't need to glance to know what he was talking about. Because he was hard...of course he was. He was in pain and nearly dead, but somehow he managed to get hard with his brother between his legs.

"It doesn't mean anything," How could it? He had been dreaming about this all his life. He had had Itachi between his legs through countless wet dreams. He had dreamed about a world where this monster didn't exist...but it was someone...different. Someone that loved him.

"No?" Itachi asked him, and he sounded almost amused. "You get turned on by all the men who look at you? I haven't truly looked though, have I?" He asked, sounding almost curious.

"Wha…" He tried, wondering what that meant, but he didn't have to ponder it long as his legs were ripped open. He really did start struggling now. He thrashed on the bench as Itachi pressed against his stomach. He kept him still before revealing his puckered entrance, and Sasuke tried to kick the sick fuck in the face as he spread his legs wider. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" He screamed as fingers lingered between his legs, poised and threatening. "You sick fuck!"

Itachi smirked...that bastard actually smirked at him as his fingers swirled just over the muscle, pressing against him teasingly. "Am I? What do your dreams tell you, Sasuke?" He asked again, putting more pressure, and to Sasuke's horror he felt his cock stiffen even more as it pressed against his belly. "What do they tell you?" He asked again, and Sasuke felt himself tremble against those fingers.

Sasuke swallowed, trying to shift away from those fingers, and yet...gods and yet… Precum rolled down the head of his penis, and for the life of him he didn't know why he was so turned on. He didn't know how he possibly could be in a position like this with a monster between his legs. It was almost like he couldn't control it.

"You…" He managed, knowing it was what the other wanted to hear. "My dreams tell me I'm supposed to be with you!"

Itachi pulled away then, and Sasuke grunted as he was shoved back with his brother on top of him. "As if there was every any doubt about that."

"It's rape Itachi...It's…" He was quieted as Itachi gripped his jaw.

"It really wouldn't be, but don't worry Otouto, your non-existent virginity is safe with me. I don't really want the Kyuubi's leftovers." Itachi's eyes were wild as he squeezed his jaw. "Fucking whore,"

"Rapist fuck!" Sasuke shot right back into his face, not backing down to this son of a bitch who had abandoned him. Sasuke shifted, not about to let the asshole off the hook. He felt the hardness pressing against his stomach, straining against Itachi's dark pants. "It sure seems like you want them."

Itachi sneered, and Sasuke's eyes slid back as he rolled his hips, dragging against his already stimulated cock...and once this was over he would go through and ask himself why the hell he was letting this happen. "You don't even compare to the one I want. You've been given everything. A family, power, notoriety...and what have you done with it? You're an ANBU dog that sucks the Kyuubi's cock? You're too weak to even seek revenge for your clan."

"By killing you, you mean?" Up until the day before he hadn't thought it was Itachi's fault. He had been after the man in the orange mask. "Who is he? The man in the mask. Tell me. I need to know."

"Why didn't you tell Hidan anything about your lover?" Itachi questioned darkly back, punctuating the question with another roll of his hips.

Sasuke's nails dug into the wood of the bench to hide a moan, not realizing he was spreading his legs wider to accommodate. "Because I love him,"

"Oh?" Itachi asked with mocking anger. "Clearly. I wonder how much you will love him when the Kyuubi is ripped from his shell...because I don't think you're close to him because you love 'him' Sasuke. I think you're close to him because you love it."

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows as he hadn't been expecting that. He let the resistance go, and Itachi's clothed cock slid between his legs, brushing against his entrance. His head exploded and flashes filled his skull of him running through the trees. He pictured a cloak of chakra covering him with power. He could taste it as more and more tails came out...as his teeth and nails sharpened. He growled in his throat, and it sounded like the Kyuubi...like he had it. When he came back to himself his dull human teeth were digging into Itachi's shoulder, blood rolling along the ivory white color of them as he tasted his brother's essence. He absentmindedly noticed the wet sticky feeling that was now between them, and in his haze of pleasure and want he acknowledged the fact that he had cum.

Itachi drew the mouth away from his now bleeding shoulder, looking down into Sasuke's sharingan filled eyes. "Still trying to eat me. I shouldn't be surprised." Sasuke was panting slightly with fear and want as he looked up, and he wanted...no...he needed for Itachi to kiss him, even though he would never in a million years be able to explain why. "This is going to hurt. Don't worry...I'll take care of you afterwards." He said that like he cared...like he wasn't a monster. Sasuke knew, however, that that was just a lie. In the end, as those eyes began to swirl with the mangekyo...it did hurt. In the end he screamed as he was drawn into those eyes.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Itachi asked him, and Sasuke glanced up with wide eyes. He sat ramrod still on the dark water, fingers sliding through it as someone had invaded his solitude. His desolation. "There once was a boy who changed the world. He broke his soul to bring back its mate, and then he hid himself away like a coward."

Sasuke got to his feet, backing up and separating them with a wall of fire. It was a possibility that this was just another illusion, and yet, he realized his Aniki was talented enough to get into his mind.

"I can taste your fear," Itachi taunted through the flames, and he sounded angry...furious. "Do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you Sasuke? Can you even imagine the fantasies I've built up in my mind for 10 years?"

Sasuke spun, and Itachi was there. He grabbed him, even if he could barely feel it, and another wall of fire appeared. Itachi thrust him against it, and the flames painlessly licked against his back. Sasuke expected yelling...he expected pain, but all he got were those lips. Those soft lips slid against his own like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He sighed, opening up immediately as Itachi deepened it, sliding his tongue along his own even if it was just a whisper of a feather. It was hardly there...and yet everything to him.

"Aniki…" He managed, and he tried to pour his love and longing into that word, but a finger covered his lips.

"Shut up. You let me talk now. I've said so very little to you of how I actually feel. Is that why you're hiding yourself?" He questioned, and his dark brown eyes flickered over his face. "Do you still hate me? Is that why you won't come home to me?"

Sasuke's eyes flickered over Itachi's grief stricken face, seeing guilt written all over his features. "I gave you what you wanted. That is your brother without all the fucked up things you did to me. That's who you always wanted me to be."

"Lies," Itachi hissed, pressing further against him. "I've always only wanted you, even when I was ripping you apart."

"Especially then," Sasuke replied, and his arms found their way around his neck. "Getting to play with your handiwork. The things that have been done to me would break his mind. It's not like yours...you melded so quickly."

"I had to endure those same things, Sasuke," Itachi growled, gripping his chin. "Or do you not think any of those things done to you hurt me?"

"You did them," Sasuke accused, glaring now. "You did all of them,"

"Blame me for Orochimaru or that Kyuubi one more time and I'll cut out your tongue." He glanced around. "I'll find some way in this prison of yours," He promised him, following it by an almost gentle kiss to the side of his mouth. "I'll never hurt you again."

Sasuke laughed at that, cynically rolling his eyes. "The cruelest kind of lie. You don't obviously believe that, do you?"

"I love you," Itachi said openly, hands traveling down his body to grip his waist.

"Do you?" Sasuke questioned. "You didn't come for me,"

"You told me not to. I had to bait you into finally coming back," He kissed along his jaw. "Even then...it isn't truly you. I can't believe you pulled it off."

"You almost sound impressed," Sasuke mused, a little surprised.

"I'm enthralled," Itachi corrected. "You exceeded my every expectation. You managed feats that no Sannin could even hope for. You're incredible."

"You're sucking up to me," Sasuke murmured, rolling his eyes even as his cheeks heated in pride. "You were always nicer in this world."

"Take whatever praise you want from me, Brightness, just come back." Itachi begged. "If I had known…" His fingers traveled lower, and pressed against the Uchiha fan scar on his hip. For some reason...Sasuke felt it...not just the small brush of a touch, but he actually felt it. He moaned before he could help himself, and Itachi took the opportunity to claim his lips again.

Sasuke melted into him as the flames faded once more to water and he gave himself over to his brother...his soulmate that he'd been missing for such a long time. Itachi pulled away to look at him. "I'll stay here with you...in this world. I'll do anything you ask, Otouto." He kissed him again, desperation against those barely there lips. "Come home to me...We'll figure it out."

"I'll go insane," Sasuke argued as Itachi laid their heads together, hand pressed to his cheek.

"I don't care...I'll take care of you. I'll bring you back. I always do," He promised, and Sasuke sighed into his mouth as they kissed again.

"I brought you back this last time. You don't get to take all the credit." Itachi pulled back slightly to watch him after those words.

"You did," He agreed. "Then hid yourself from me...From more pain. I know you think that's what I want Otouto, but it couldn't be less true. I just want you. Come back."

"Itachi…" Sasuke whispered. "I don't think I know how," Sasuke shook his head. "I don't think there is any of me left...It's him."

"I don't want him," Itachi growled, arguing against that logic. "What do you need me to do? Tell me…"

Sasuke grinned a little to himself, cupping Itachi's cheek. "I thought you knew everything,"

"I don't know if you still love me," Itachi said back almost softly, and Sasuke was once more floored with how different he was in this world between worlds, even after all this time. "Do you? After everything I've done to you, can you?"

"Aniki…" Sasuke whispered, kissing him once more as the flames rose back up in his mind. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to." He chided, before throwing him with his genjutsu out of his mind.

Sasuke was trembling from head to toe as he slowly came back into awareness. Itachi was groaning in what sounded like pain above him. His eyes slid around the room as Itachi picked himself up off of him, and Sasuke felt something sticky all over his stomach. "What did you do to me?" He asked, because his mind had been quiet, as if he had passed out. He felt wrong...like his mind had been stretched too thin.

Itachi managed to pull back, though he was moving sluggish, and Sasuke thought once again that he was in pain. He watched as his older brother sat up on his hips, tucking himself back into his pants, and if he didn't feel so stretched thin he would have been more horrified to realize Itachi's cum was pooled on his belly. "You belong to me, Sasuke. You're going to stay here, and we are going to continue your training."

Sasuke blinked as blood dripped down onto his face, and he realized then that Itachi's eyes were bleeding. He didn't seem to mind. "I'm not staying here." He tried, but he was too exhausted to put any sort of conviction in his voice. "Naruto...I have to go home."

"He was going to propose to you," Itachi whispered, rubbing his eyes with the back of his sleeve and smearing the blood across his face like war paint. "I let you live your own life, Otouto, but I'd be damned if I let you marry that cretin." He leaned down then, and Sasuke flinched as soft lips pressed to his cheek. "That's why I baited you on your birthday."

Sasuke's eyes widened at that information, his heart pained with need for his dobe. His eyes teared up as he watched Itachi, covered in both of their cum and sick with guilt. "What do you want from me?"

Itachi sighed, fingertips trailing down his cheek, and it was so different from how he had been acting earlier. "I don't really know. I'm going to train you to control your mind for starters. We're going to make the headaches go away."

He grunted in disapproval as he was hauled up then, his bruised and broken body lifted into Itachi's arms as he carried his still half dressed form to the door. "Why are you doing this, Aniki?"

"Because you're my brother, Sasuke...and we belong together." He told him, pressing fingertips to his forehead. "Sleep.." He commanded, and Sasuke's head fell backwards, his battered mind resting in a peaceful doze.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Deidara hiccuped around the pint of beer as he watched Sasori. His man's mood had been deteriorating since the little Uchiha had been brought to the compound. It was really irritating. He almost was debating accidentally sending a bird bomb into the room the kid was being kept to just get rid of him. Sasori had even been too distracted to even bone him...and that was simply unacceptable.

"I don't suppose it would make you feel any better if I mentioned, yet again…" He stressed. "That you didn't know Itachi was going to…"

Sasori turned to glower at him, and it was amazing how much expression could be put into a false face. "Of course I didn't know that our leader wanted to fuck his own brother. Did you think after all of these years I've been training him that I wanted for him to be raped?"

Deidara held up a finger, downing the rest of his beer and debating getting another one. "No, for the thousandth time, I didn't think that," Deidara stressed, getting up to go get them refills. Well hell, who was he kidding? He was going to get himself two. "I know you care about the kid. I mean don't really know why, but…"

"He's like a brother to me," Sasori told him, and Deidara sighed at the guilt in that beautiful voice.

"You didn't know, Sasori," He stressed again, and red hair flopped as his lover shook his head.

"Does that excuse my actions now? Itachi Uchiha is a psychopath, and Sasuke is in his bedroom. What do you think is happening?"

"I don't think anything," He tried to reassure him. "Sasuke's been asleep. I broke in the other day and the brat is just tied to the bed."

"What's he waiting for?" Sasori asked right back. "What's his game plan? Hidan didn't get any answers."

"Yeah…" Deidara agreed. "But I think that's kind of the point. Hidan can get answers out of almost anyone. I think Itachi was trying to demonstrate Sasuke's value...He was tortured by the sadist and didn't say a word."

"I forgot how close the two of your were that you know his inner mind," Sasori murmured, rolling his eyes while he reached to entwine their fingers.

"If I ever know the inner workings of Itachi's mind, feel free to kill me, because I'm sure by then I'll properly be insane."

"So this isn't about getting the Kyuubi?" Sasori asked, and Deidara shrugged, dragging his hand up to kiss it.

"I think if we take the free territory away from the lands that they'll rebel even more," He admitted his probably more unpopular opinion. "That's why he's left the Kyuubi, for hope...and whatever game he's playing with Sasuke."

"Pein thinks he could be an asset," Sasori murmured. "Itachi wants to keep him around." He sounded almost bitter when he said that.

"You don't like that? Weren't you training Sasuke to be able to join us?" Deidara asked him, sensing he might be breaking through Sasori's bad mood finally.

"Not for what Itachi wants from him," Sasori growled out. "He lied to us all."

Deidara snorted. "When has Itachi not lied to us all?" He asked the redhead, hands trailing down those abnormal legs. They felt real underneath his pants. "Sasuke is your student. You can keep him safe from whatever Itachi is planning. Otherwise, why not vote against it in council tomorrow?" He questioned.

"They'll ask for Sasuke's head. He's seen our faces. He knows our leader. He's either in, or he's dead," Sasori reminded him. "Itachi knew that when he brought him here."

Hidan sank down next to them on the bench, grabbing for one of Deidara's beer as he downed it, letting out a burp. "We talking about that Uchiha brat?" He questioned, and one look at Sasori's face seemed to confirm it. "There's something weird about him,"

Deidara raised an eyebrow at the sadist, annoyed he now had to go get more beer. "What's that? Did he not scream the way you wanted him to?"

Hidan rolled his eyes. "He didn't scream at all...not once, but that's not what was weird," Hidan continued. "I couldn't sync myself to him. I had to do it all manually without being able to take in my own pleasures. It's like his soul is already being shared, and there's no room for anyone else." He frowned. "I haven't had to torture a person's body for a very long time...it was almost archaic."

"You didn't seem to mind," Sasori pointed out. "He's in a coma now,"

"I didn't do that part, that's all our fastidious leader's doing," The sadist assured them, raising his arms. "My hands are clean,"

Deidara snorted. "They're really not," He promised him. "You going to vote to keep him?"

Hidan laughed at that, clapping him on the back and making him spill his beer. "Do you honestly think Itachi would let us vote him out? We all saw that display. It was hot."

"Into incest now? Didn't know that was one of your kinks," Sasori growled.

"I suppose you something new everyday to get you off, puppet face," He mocked, using his hand to signal jacking off as he grinned. "Besides, it's been boring around here. This could spice things up. Itachi is a miserable bastard who is in a rut...maybe this will give us some movement."

"Taking over Konoha, you mean?" Sasori questioned him. "Why do you care?"

Hidan shrugged. "Seems entertaining. Those defiant bastards need taken down a notch, and if one of their own has to be the one to do it, then so be it. I'll vote yes tomorrow. Sleeping beauty will look hot in black and red." Hidan rubbed both of their heads as Deidara glared. "Cheer up boys, in the morning we will probably have a new brother."

"Does it matter that he may not want to join us?" Sasori questioned Hidan as the other got up.

Hidan laughed at that. "Come on man, when has consent ever managed to Itachi when he sees something he wants? Didn't matter with Dei, did it? He takes and he takes and he takes...at least with his greediness we can sometimes catch a scrap."

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,


	5. The Council

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 5: The Council

Sasuke's eyes fluttered slowly open, sighing as they shut again and he curled into the pillow. He inhaled, expecting the citrus scent mixed with ramen that always seemed to permeate from his lover, but was met with an entirely different one. "Naruto…" He stretched, feeling his side empty. "It's early...come back to bed…"

He hissed as the back of his head was unceremoniously grabbed, pain lashing through him as he was ripped up off the bed and tossed down to the floor. "Go take a shower. There is a change of clothes for you by the tub."

Sasuke froze at that, nails tightening along the floorboards as everything came back to him, turning slowly to face his brother who seemed more than a little pissed off above him. "Where am I?"

"My room," Itachi answered. "Now do as you're told," Itachi commanded, looking away.

"Why am I in your room, Itachi?" Sasuke bit out. "Did you touch me...did you…" He quieted as Itachi's sharingan eyes turned back to him. He swallowed, considering his options. "What am I getting dressed for?"

"The Council," Itachi murmured. "You're to stand before them. If you are found wanting you will be killed. If not..well…"

Sasuke considered his options, his dark eyes narrowing to slits. "You can't possibly think I would ever want to be like you? I won't join the Akatsuki. They took away my family!" He backed up as Itachi leaned down, eyes wary as he looked around for anything to use to defend himself.

"My darling Otouto," Itachi started, reaching out to grab his chin. "I took away your family. I thought we had established your foolishness in believing his lie."

"The man in the mask?" Sasuke asked, anger and hatred spilling from his lips. "Why would he defend you?" He questioned, trembling slightly at the lack of pain that came from Itachi's smallest touch. It was dangerous.

"Because he loved me," Itachi assured him, fingers turning and trailing down his cheek. "You're so beautiful, Otouto...every inch of you perfection." Sasuke felt his cheeks go warm, butterflies in his stomach at praise that he didn't deserve. Praise that would have never dared pass Itachi's lips.

"I loved you once," Sasuke countered with, trapped in those red eyes. "You were my brother."

"I'm still your brother," Itachi countered with. "I'm all you have left." He dragged Sasuke up to his feet, pushing him towards the bathroom. "Shower. We don't have much time, and they're not a group that likes to be kept waiting."

Sasuke turned back towards Itachi, not understanding how he had been put in such a situation. "Aren't you their leader?" He asked, trying to ignore the pain that came with that truth. "Won't they wait for you?"

"You didn't," Itachi murmured, and Sasuke knitted his eyebrows at the response, head beginning to ache as he felt like he should remember something...as if he should feel guilty for something.

"It isn't true, you know," He whispered to him. "You're not all I have. Kakashi, Obito, and Naruto are my family. You left me Itachi. You're the one that didn't wait...and now, what? You want me to have feelings for you? You expect me to understand these dreams I'm having?" His voice was slightly trembling. "I dreamt of you all my life, Aniki..and now that you're here...well...I wish I would have stayed at my birthday dinner." He told him, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind him before Itachi could respond. What would he say anyways besides something else to churn his stomach?

Sasuke slumped against the door once it was closed, dragging his knees up to his chin as his nails dug into them to stop his shaking. No, he wouldn't do this. His entire life he had searched for these answers. Who was the man in the mask? Where was his brother? What was the full story? Now that they were at the tip of his fingertips all he felt was apprehension and disgust. Itachi had answers about his disease. He had answers about everything, but it would cost him his soul. It would cost him his humanity to obtain them. How could he ever go home then? How could he ever kiss Naruto after he had almost begged for the lips of his brother?

The Akatsuki would kill him if he didn't join them. What choice did he have then? If he stuck to his morals he would never walk out of that room. If he joined them his soul would be damned just like Itachi's. His best option would be to go into that room and pretend. To escape as soon as possible...and to hope he didn't lead them right to Konoha...to Naruto.

What would his blond dobe think of him when he got back? Would he see that he had no choice? Would he forgive him? He'd give him what he wanted. He'd find a way to give him a child. He… Sasuke gasped as pain lit up his skull, and he grabbed for the sides as he stood up, stumbling forward and crashing into the sink. Memories filled his head, nestled in Itachi's arms...lying by a tree. "Itachi!" He screamed, not able to take the pain as he gripped his stomach, bowling over at the phantom pain as his brother came into the room.

"What is it?" He questioned, and Sasuke turned sharingan eyes up to him in agony as he couldn't decide what was in more pain.

"What the fuck does it look like!?" He growled, blood pouring from his nose.

"I meant what triggered it," Itachi murmured, somewhat annoyed as he came up behind him. Sasuke let himself be manhandled as he was spun into his arms, sighing as the pain began to ebb and fade as he whimpered a little in his arms, unabashedly burying his face into Itachi's chest and inhaling his scent. It calmed him, lulling him into an almost drugged state as the pain faded.

"Do you have any children?" Sasuke questioned, pupils blown in his state. "Do you have a wife?"

He felt Itachi's chest shake slightly in laughter at that prospect. "No, Otouto. No children...no wife."

"That's what I saw," Sasuke murmured, allowing himself to be walked backwards as Itachi leaned down to start the bath and set him on the tub.

"You saw me with a child?" Itachi questioned, voice more than a little skeptical.

"No...not you…" Itachi's brow furrowed further, eyes curious.

"Spit it out," He hissed at him, and Sasuke flinched at the tone.

"It's not as if these visions are the clearest...I just saw you with your hand on my stomach...I was asking about our children." Sasuke snorted at that, shaking his head. "Naruto would have loved that. A version of me that wanted a child...as impossible as that is."

Sasuke let his arms raise as Itachi drew his shirt over his head, too exhausted from the headache to feel vulnerable. He didn't think his brother had helped him into the bath since he was a toddler. He turned bleary eyes up to his brother, observing how pale Itachi had gotten, his eyes full of hurt.

"If I stay here...will you erase me for him?" He asked, the clues going more and more together. "The one who looks at you like you're the only thing in his world?" He loved Naruto, but he had never looked at him the way he saw himself look at Itachi in his mind. He leaned back as Itachi slipped off his pants.

"Take your bath, Sasuke," Itachi said quietly, pushing him backwards and into the water. Sasuke spluttered, pushing himself to the surface, but by the time he did Itachi was already gone. He washed up in the bath, scrubbing away dried blood and grime that had accumulated from coming to this hellhole of a place.

When he finished up and got dressed Itachi was gone from the room as well. He glanced around, trying to remember if Itachi's room back in the village had looked quite so plain. The walls were covered in scrolls and books. His brother, ever the scholar. The bed was clad in taupe sheets and blankets, and Sasuke had a feeling if he were to reach under the pillow he would find the kunai Itachi slept on as a habit ever since he had been a child.

It was odd how well he knew him. Sometimes he wondered if it came from his memories, or the false ones implanted in his brain. For instance it made sense that he knew Itachi's favorite food was bacon and eggs...it didn't make sense that he knew he loved to have the skin stroked just behind his ear. He sank down onto the bed he had woken up in that morning, feeling once more like his mind was being stretched too thin. It would end soon...one way or another...Itachi had been right, the headaches were going to kill him...if the Akatsuki didn't first.

He felt angry with himself for some reason...disappointed for what he had told Itachi in the bathroom. What business was it of his what he was thinking about? Why would he go and tell that bastard a secret? Wait...a secret? What secret? A child that didn't exist? No...a fantasy. Something he wished...longed for...something Itachi would never give him.

"Quiet!" He heard himself growl, just before that stretched feeling finally culminated and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

,,,,,,,,,,

"I don't get it...doesn't he know we're waiting, yeah?" Deidara asked impatiently, leaning over in his chair as his pony tail hung over the side. "I'm booooorrreeeeddddd!" He whined, turning his one good eye towards Itachi. "Didn't you tell him where it was? Maybe he's lost? Maybe you should go fetch him. Maybe…" 

"Would you be quiet for one instant of your life?" Itachi hissed back at him, and Deidara gulped, sitting up in his chair.

"Sorry," He murmured. "I'm just excited is all. It isn't every day we get a new member. You've been taking your time finding a replacement for Orochimaru. Missions have been a bitch…"

"Deidara!" Pein growled from the other side of him. "We do not speak that cretin's name in this organization. You know that."

The blond sighed then, throwing his hands up. "So many rules! Can't we all just have fun and rule the world together?"

"I'm in for that," Hidan murmured from beside him. "I'm almost hoping the kid puts up a fight. I want another crack at him," Hidan flinched at the look Itachi shot him. "Umm sorry boss...I keep forgetting he's your...uh...brother."

"Fuck buddy…" Deidara murmured under his breath, earning several more glares. "What!? We were all thinking it."

"Dei…" Sasori murmured, frustration filling his voice as he rubbed his face. He knew that tone. That tone said shut up if you know what's good for you. Itachi be damned with his commands, but he always listened to his man.

"Right...Sorry...I won't mention any more how Itachi brought home a stray and then proceeded to molest it in front of all of…"

"Dei!" Both Hidan and Sasori shot at him, and he heard some laughter come from Kisame as he leaned next to Itachi.

"Don't get grumpy, Itachi...it's all in good fun." The shark like man clapped him on the back. "If you ask me this will only help the vote...you need to get laid."

"Does he?" Deidara's head snapped to the entrance as Sasuke came in, the scared little kitten who had been hanging from the trees all but gone. "Was that what this was then?" He questioned, eyebrows raised and focused on Itachi. The odd thing was, the elder Uchiha wasn't looking up at all. He seemed almost...cowed? No, but that couldn't be right.

"What what was?" Pein questioned. "Forgive me for being away at a mission when you were brought in, Uchiha, we weren't properly introduced."

"I know who you are," Sasuke assured him. "No introduction needed. Besides...it seems you're all but irrelevant next to my brother anyways." He murmured. "Second fiddle and all that."

"Watch your tongue," Pein growled back. "I heard you had fire, not stupidity running through your veins."

"Did you? Were you expecting fire?" He made hand signs, blowing at the wall as it swirled around, lighting up the tortures all around the room. "I wouldn't want to disappoint."

Itachi had glanced up at that, sharingan eyes cold and dead as he looked at his brother, but it was odd...he seemed...off his guard...scared almost. But Itachi didn't get scared.

"Let me explain to you why you're here…" Pein started, but Sasuke held up a hand.

"No need to bother. Believe me...I think I've got it. You want me to join you to get information on Naruto, correct? The Kyuubi is the one missing piece of the puzzle...the most powerful and just out of your grasps." He yawned. "Boring...You could have gotten to him ages ago. You didn't." Sasuke's eye landed on Itachi then. "You left him alive for a reason...You don't want just to harness their power...You want to become them." Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest. "The Kyuubi is the perfect test subject for this...he's been implanted before like the others, yes, but Naruto has been able to harness and control him in ways the others never did." Sasuke stepped closer then, seeming to not be aware of his own mortality by the livid way Itachi was staring at him.

Pein glanced over to Itachi, as if looking towards his lead at the fantasies this Konoha scum was telling. Itachi didn't quiet him. He didn't torture him. No, he took a step back from him.

"That's what I thought...same game. Someday you'll tell them the real game you're playing, won't you Aniki?" Sasuke grinned cruelly, lifting up his shirt slightly to show off his navel. "When it's back inside me that is...the one child you could ever give me."

Itachi sprang forward then, just in time to catch Sasuke as his eyes seemed to roll to the back of his head, supporting his back just before his head cracked on the pavement. He scooped Sasuke into his arms in one fluid motion, and Deidara saw with surprise that his hands were trembling as he held him.

"Sasuke speaks the truth. We are going to take the Kyuubi." He told the group. "Sasuke can lead him out into the open, and once he is we will extract the demon inside of him. We will give it a new master, and overtake Konoha with the blood pouring from its teeth and claws."

"Sasuke?" Sasori spoke. "He's the vessel, isn't he? That's why he knows the plan. That's why Hidan couldn't torture him."

"Now now...I tortured that kid plenty," Hidan defended himself, earning a scowl from Sasori.

"How long have you known what he was? The headaches? Are they part of it?" Sasori questioned, and frowned at Itachi's silence. "You made this boy a part of our lives Itachi! Mine and Obito! You _will_ not deceive us when we can so obviously see the truth."

"Oh?" Itachi questioned. "And what truth is that?" He asked Sasori. "You don't know my brother. He is not what you think he is, and yes he will be the vessel. No one else could take the Kyuubi and survive."

Deidara sighed, stretching in the chair. "Can we just go ahead and do the vote already. Who wants little psycho there to be one of us?" He prefaced his answer with a raise of his own hand. The look he got from Sasori made him shrug. "He seems fun...even if he did cut off my arm. I mean...I got better."

"No one is joining us," Pein snapped. "Not until I find out just what happened there. His soul is fractured...jumbled...broken." The orange haired nin glanced towards Itachi. "It's screaming in pain."

"He's fine," Itachi assured them, voice cold even as his hand stroked Sasuke's hair almost gently, the contrast jarring as he watched them.

"Clearly," Sasori grumbled. "He's getting worse being here. Not better. You put a Jinchuuriki in him as he is now and he will die."

"I know," Itachi growled back, obviously not used to this level of reproach. "He won't be as he is now. I'll fix him. He will be the reason we rule the world some day."

"Aren't we already ruling it?" Kisame questioned. "I've certainly got no complaints."

"All of it," Itachi hissed, glowering at his partner. "Konoha is the key."

"Naruto Uzumaki is the key." Pein told him. "That bundle in your arms is 'your' key. There's a slight difference." He watched them both, finally sighing and raising his hand. "Fine. But you will tell me this plan of yours and what that boy has to do with it."

Kisame raised his hand, Zetsu and Kakuzu were next. Konan stepped next to Pein, fingers curling around his hand. "Itachi...it isn't right what you want from him. I will not give you your reason to abuse him."

Itachi stepped forward then, eyes swirling with the mangekyou, arms tightening around Sasuke almost in pain. Pein intercepted him, standing in front of the Uchiha. "He's in. The vote doesn't need to be unanimous. He's in even without Sasori or Konan's vote."

Deidara glanced at Sasori with a frown. "Are you really not going to vote for him? This was part of your plan, yeah?"

"Whatever is about to befall Sasuke, I will not be part of it. I abstain," Sasori murmured, not afraid to meet Itachi's eyes. "That rests on the rest of your shoulders."

"How self-righteous of you," Itachi shot back. "Abstaining from hurting him when you've been feeding him poison for years."

"It wasn't poison," Sasori shot right back. "It kept him alive."

"It kept him buried!" Itachi growled. "Now look what's happening...Sasuke is Akatsuki now. I will take over his training from here." Itachi looked between the rest of the group. "You're dismissed. Go celebrate our new brother. Sasuke will be there once he wakes up."

"If he wakes up," Deidara grumbled under his breath as Kisame laughed and clapped him on the back.

"This is cause for drinking!" He shot out, causing the blond to roll his eyes.

"Any time for you is a great time for drinking, shark boy." He was smacked on the back again, shoving him towards the door.

"Shark man to you, Bimbo...And I'll kick your ass in it just like I always do." He laughed as they made their way out the door, leaving Itachi behind, his sin manifest still bundled in his arms.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sasuke coughed at the acrid smell that filled his nose, shooting up as he choked, wiping at his nose. He batted the smelling salts away, glaring at his brother above him. "What the hell ItachI!?" He asked, looking around to find that he was in a different room than he had fallen asleep in. "Where am I?" He asked, head fuzzy and aching as he glance at the bare white washed walls.

"Your room. I'm sure you'll understand why you couldn't stay in mine," Itachi explained, moving to the chair next to the bed. "What's the last thing you remember?" He asked, thinly veiled curiosity in his tone as he stared at the wall.

"Taking a bath...falling asleep…" He rattled off, remembering that stretched feeling and that anger well up inside him.

Itachi shut his eyes at that, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he considered. "How long have you been having blackouts? Are they coming more frequently? Do they last longer?" Itachi's black eyes turned to face him. "Do you wake up in strange places sometimes?"

"Are you saying I blacked out?" Sasuke questioned back, refusing to let just how close Itachi was to the truth show on his face. How did he know? He hadn't even told Sasori.

"Avoiding the question?" He asked, scoffing. "A long time then," He deduced. "Since you were a child?" He guessed. "After the massacre."

"Who isn't a little traumatized from watching something like that?" Sasuke asked coldly back, eyes hard and narrowed at the way Itachi said it so nonchalantly. "So what if I have blackouts?" He glanced around. "And what do you mean my room? Wasn't I staying with you?"

Itachi's mouth quirked. "Didn't know you were so eager to spend another night in my bed?" He smirked at the way Sasuke blushed, then seemed to realize what he was doing. "It isn't a good idea. Us being around each other isn't a good idea."

"You dry humped me until you came in that cell a few days ago, and now it isn't a good idea?" Sasuke asked, not knowing where this sense of rejection was coming from. Why did he care? He had Naruto...Itachi was a psychotic freak. "What happened when I blacked out?"

Itachi leaned back in the chair, eyes flickering to Sasuke again, as if he couldn't help himself. "You became a member of the Akatsuki. Congratulations…" He spoke cynically. "It's a feat few accomplish."

"You almost sound proud," Sasuke mused, a little surprised. "Why did you vote when I was sleeping? Don't they even want to know if I'm a traitor?"

"They're already know you're a traitor, Otouto...rest easy on that fact," Itachi assured him. "I can only do so much to keep you alive in this organization, do try not to get yourself killed at least until the mission is over."

Sasuke swallowed hard at that, having so many questions, but being too exhausted to ask them. "What mission?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to, Otouto." Itachi stood up, as if debating with himself before he leaned down. Sasuke stiffened, frozen at having his brother so close to him, heart pounding in both dread and anticipation. "Clean yourself up. There's a party downstairs in your honor." Lips pressed to the top of his spikes, and Sasuke flinched as he was flicked in the forehead. "I promise someday I'll tell you everything, Otouto." He swore, the familiar lie rolling off his tongue.

Sasuke held his forehead as Itachi paused in the doorway, as if it pained him to leave. "Enjoy your party. I'll be away for a few days. When I get back we will start your training." He told him, leaving Sasuke confused and alone, but for some reason not scared any more. He needed answers, and Itachi might be an asshole, but his Aniki never failed to do what he said he would. Itachi would help him...even if it cost the both of them everything to do so.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,


	6. Homecoming

The Never Fading Light

Chapter 6: Homecoming

Sasuke wandered down the hall to the cafeteria where all the noise was coming from, anticipation and anxiety swimming in his stomach. He froze before his fingers touched the door, thinking for the thousandth time that he could just leave. He could run. He was still confused how he had been admitted in, but it felt like Itachi was pulling some awfully big strings when it came to him.

The question was, why? Because he wanted to fuck him? ...That much was obvious, but not the whole case. He could have done it if that was his intent. It's not like Sasuke had fought him...all that much. His mind flashed to the cell, to the feel of Itachi between his legs. Really there… Sasuke shut his eyes, gripping the door hinge as arousal coursed through him, pulsing from somewhere deep inside that wanted Itachi as he wanted Naruto.

His blond dobe had to be scratching at the walls by now without any sort of pigeon from him. They had rules about this kind of thing. No matter how far they were apart, they always communicated with each other. He had to be thinking he was really in the fray this time...that or he realized just how stupid Sasuke had been to have left in the first place.

Sasuke should leave. He should find a way to escape from this compound and run home to him, but...something was keeping him here. Something called to his very soul. It wasn't hard to figure out what. That had always been obvious through his dreams. The why was the bigger question. Itachi knew. He would tell him eventually with the right motivation. He would get his answers before he ever had to hurt the one he loved. He would get his answers, and then go home to his soon to be fiance. Not that he deserved him...not with the way he couldn't stop thinking about Itachi. Naruto would forgive him though. ...Naruto always forgave him.

"Thinking about running?" Sasuke started, glancing across to where the voice had come from, trying not to show the surprise he felt as a plant seemed to appear, having been camouflaged to the wall.

Sasuke's palms pressed against the wall, staring wide eyed up at the creature that seemed to tower over him. "What are you?"

"Zetsu," He answered. "What are you?" He asked, the white half of his face smiling, while that eerie golden eye stared deep into his own. Sasuke let them flood with the sharingan, trying to read if he was in danger or not. "You're a lot like me...two halves warring with one body."

Was he really so transparent? How could everyone here seem to see something that he had been running from his entire life? How much had his brother manipulated this situation? "What's wrong with me? Do you know?"

"You're not from here," A different voice replied from the same body, that golden eye narrowed in on him. "Not from this existence...fractured...split."

"A different person…" Sasuke answered for him, always being a quick study. "Is that what's wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me…" Zetsu answered, reaching out and opening the door to the cafeteria, noise cascading in Sasuke's ears as a party thrummed inside. "You wouldn't have made it," Zetsu told him. "If you had run...there are things outside that would have dragged you back."

The Jinchuuriki.

Sasuke swallowed, nodding. "Thanks for the warning," He managed, palms sweating with nervousness as he stared into the room of psychopaths that were celebrating his imprisonment. "Do I really have to go in there?" He questioned, and was shoved hard in the back as he did, causing him to stumble into the bustling room.

"Ah look Sasori, puppy came to play!" Was the exuberant welcome that came from the blond, getting up as he thrust a beer into his hand. Sasuke took it, shivering as their fingers touched and a wave of pain went through his head. He pulled away, backing up as his hand went to his forehead.

"Thanks…" He managed, taking a sip through the pain. Another reverberation, isn't that what Itachi had called it? His memories warring with each other, which meant this man was in his memories.

"Sure was an impressive performance," Deidara complimented. "Getting Pein to vote you in so easily with that plan of yours."

"Plan?" Sasuke asked, face turning white with fear as he realized he had truly blacked out for the vote. "Yeah...should work." He told him, having no idea what he was talking about. This wasn't the point to show how crazy he really was though. Not yet.

"You don't seem scared at all," Deidara said, grinning as he looked over at Sasori. "So which is it, yeah? Is our puppy brave or just stupid?"

"I imagine confused," Sasori said instead as he came over to them both. "Sasuke, I think we have a lot to talk about."

"What would I possibly have to say to you after everything you've done?" Sasuke questioned him back, downing the glass and shaking it at Deidara. "Refill?"

"Bossy bitch, aren't you, yeah?" Deidara questioned, but didn't look angry as he grabbed the glass. "You're lucky you're interesting."

Sasuke watched him go, eyes focusing back on Sasori and that inhumanely perfect face. "Your boy toy is cute...in an annoying sort of way." He murmured, crossing his arms.

"Glad you approve," Sasori murmured sarcastically. "Despite what you might think, it was my intention, or rather orders, to train you."

"My brother?" Sasuke questioned back, already knowing it had been.

"Your brother," Sasori agreed. "I didn't know what he wanted from you. I thought his intentions towards you were pure...but then I've never seen him look at you."

A warm pit inside of him pulsed at that statement, eyes fluttering before hardening once more on his mentor. "He doesn't look at me. He couldn't wait to get away from him." Itachi wanted whatever was buried deep inside of him.

"Don't be foolish, Sasuke, I know how intelligent you are," He chastised him. "Tell me how you're feeling."

"Betrayed," Sasuke immediately hissed, and then considered his training. "Confused," He admitted. "Frightened."

"He's not going to kill you," Sasori assured him, voice almost soft. "I can't promise he won't hurt you, though."

"I'm not frightened for myself," Sasuke looked then, sharingan fading as he stared at Sasori with his own eyes. "Naruto doesn't know what happened to me. He'll come looking…" He said hesitantly, realizing he was surrounded by people that wanted that exact thing to happen. Sasori had been his friend, even if it was a lie. He had been one of the only people he could trust.

"What are you asking me to do?" Sasori questioned, voice short and clipped. "You're very bold to come to me in your position and ask me to warn your boyfriend of your own plan."

"Not my plan," Sasuke denied, because he had blacked out, and no matter how much he tried he couldn't remember anything from waking up in the bed Itachi had gotten for him. "I love him…" He tried, because Sasori looked at Deidara in that way.

"If I warn him he'll come after you," Sasori pointed out, and yes, of course that was true. If Naruto even had a whiff of the danger he was in there wasn't anything that would stop him.

"I know...but if he thinks I'm with you," Sasuke said hesitantly. "If he thinks I'm training with you...then he won't worry. He won't…" Sasuke cut off what he was going to say as Deidara came back with another drink, blinking at the tears of guilt in his eyes. He had damned his lover to hell for his own selfish desires. He had damned him to see Itachi again.

"I'll see what I can do," Sasori managed, eyes flickering over Deidara. "Why don't you get something stronger, Dei?"

Deidara snorted at that, leaning in to lick playfully at Sasori's cheek. "Really? Trying to get me drunk, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sasori managed, cupping his face. "Even if I can't indulge it doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to,"

"My man," Deidara breathed, and Sasuke grit his head as another headache was starting to form. He went back over to the table, pouring shots for both him and Sasuke as he handed one over. "Question is...can you keep up, puppy?"

Sasuke grabbed it and downed it without question, not letting the burn show on his face. "I can keep up…"

His head was swimming with drink as he made his way down the hall back towards his room. His room...the very idea was laughable. How had it come to this? Getting drunk with the scum of the world? Cozying up to murderers that would normally be strapped to his investigation table? Right now that was his only option. Right now he had to try to blend in until he could figure out what was going on.

He slid along the wall, head swimming as he made it to his door. He hesitated before pushing inside, looking down to where Itachi's room was. He said he'd be gone for a few days...he'd never know. Sasuke felt that warm pit pulse deep inside of him at that thought, feet unconsciously carrying him down towards the second door. Itachi had put him beside him...keeping him close.

Sasuke slid the door open hesitantly, not putting it passed Itachi to lay traps in his own bedroom. ...Regardless if everything he knew about his brother came from faded memories and dreams that had never happened, he still felt like he knew him.

The room was as meticulous as the last time he had been in here. You would never know that Itachi had prepared for a speedy exit. Sasuke toed off his sandals, eyes staring at the big bed in the middle of the room. He had woken up in that bed earlier. He supposed Itachi wouldn't mind it too much if he did it again.

He crawled onto the bed, inhaling that spicy scent as he felt his cock twitch at just the smell of him. ...He always got more horny when he was drunk. The reaction shouldn't surprise him. It should, however, repulse him, but he couldn't bring himself to feel that either.

Sasuke sunk underneath the covers, fingers going underneath Itachi's pillow to grip the kunai in comfort. He missed Naruto. He missed the feeling of sliding against him at night...of that body rolling on top of him. Naruto would always kiss his neck first, as if asking permission before he would make his way down his body. He would whisper affections in his ear as his fingers would press between his legs.

Sasuke's breath quickened, hand pushing inside the waistband of his black shorts, finding the area between his thighs as he tried to remember Naruto's scent, but all he could smell was Itachi. The fantasy shifted back to the chains, to the feel of those strong hands on his hips, taking, never asking. He wet his lips as he gripped his cock, thumb swirling over the head as his breath quickened.

Sasuke pictured the cell, to the way Itachi had slid between his thighs. To the way he had looked at him. His other hand came to his zipper, creating more as his hand slid up and down the length. He moaned, biting his lip as his other hand pushed between his thighs, sliding into himself as he pictured it was his brother. He tried to get Naruto's face back, but all he could see were sharingan eyes staring down at him. "Itachi…" He breathed, thrusting his hips up as his fingers thrust inside, having no idea where this had come from. Not that he hadn't had this particular fantasy before, but it had always been from memories. Never from the real thing. "Itachi!" He screamed, cum spurting from his cock as he rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in Itachi's pillow as he panted. "Fuck…" He managed, nails digging into the fabric as he pushed himself up.

He was so fucked up. He was beyond fucked up. Tears swam in his eyes as he thought about Naruto...of what he had just done to him. He dug his face into the pillow, screaming in frustration as he thought about how the dobe had chosen him of all people, and he couldn't stop fucking up.

Sasuke threw the pillow away in disgust, pulling up his shorts as he reached for the bedside table, trying to find a rag or something to wipe up the mess he had made on Itachi's comforter. "Stupid...fucking...asshole…" He managed between clenched teeth as he yanked the bedside drawer open, eyes widening at what he saw inside.

His fingers were shaking as he reached for the open sketch pad, gripping it as he pulled it out to lay it in front of him. His fingertips traced over the sketched out form of his own face. He flipped through the sketch book, covering his mouth as he saw sketch after sketch. ...Always him...with one difference. The eyes. His eyes were green and red.

Sasuke gasped as the pain started, mouth making incomprehensible sounds of pain as his head exploded. It was laughable to ever think he had felt pain before. Blood splattered over the drawing of his face as he couldn't take his eyes off it. Memories poured through his brain as it tore it apart, images of his eye in bandages, of a hole through his stomach, of it knitting back together. He choked as he bent over that image, blood pouring from his eyes as it felt like his brain was going to explode. He let out one more strangled cry, before the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed forward into his own blood, unconsciousness saving him from the pain of seeing his own altered reflection.

When he opened his eyes again it felt like he had the worst hangover of his life. He groaned at the pain, pushing himself up in the bed. He wasn't surprised to see Itachi sitting in the chair across from him. "Hey…" He managed, groaning as he grabbed for his head. "Sorry...I didn't mean to fall asleep in here."

"Didn't you?" Itachi questioned him, and Sasuke saw the sketch book in his lap.

"Well...maybe…" Sasuke corrected. "But I thought I could sneak out before you got back."

"Why?" Itachi's question was clipped, barely controlled anger beneath the surface as he watched him.

Sasuke thought about it, mouth opening, but not able to say anything as his eyes were locked on the sketchbook. "That's the person in my memories. That's the one I'm fighting against…" He exhaled. "Do me the courtesy of just telling me the truth?"

"It would make you go insane," Itachi managed, setting the sketchbook aside as he got up and headed to the bathroom.

"Don't you think I'm already there, Aniki?" He questioned, watching as Itachi came out with a wet rag.

Itachi grabbed his chin, very obviously not meeting his eyes as he wiped at his face. The rag came away pink from his most recent attack. "Think your sanity has always been questioned, even before all this."

"Before all this?" Sasuke asked him. "I don't know before this...but you do, don't you?" Sasuke gave a sardonic laugh, shaking his head. "Such a prodigy...You can even see a world that's not our own."

Itachi set the rag down, tilting Sasuke's face up to look at him. "You're the prodigy, Otouto, don't you know that by now?"

"Compliments don't become you Niisan…" Sasuke murmured. "Did that get you laid with him?"

Itachi gave a tight lipped grin, shaking his head. "You're a brat," His fingers came out, tracing through black spikes. "I have something for you…" He managed, fingertips trailing down his cheek. "You're not going to like it."

"As opposed to the force imprisonment and torture I've undergone the last few days?" He questioned, but his eyes were locked with Itachi's as those fingers trailed along his jaw, each touch soothing the pain in his head until it was a distant hum.

"It can get worse," Itachi promised him, reaching for a box on the bedside table. He tossed it to him. "I had it made for you."

"So quickly?" Sasuke questioned, fingers tracing over the flat velvet box. "It wasn't just the night that I was out, was it?"

"It's been six days since I left," Itachi answered for him. "Your brain hemorrhaged this time...not surprising seeing what you did." He motioned to the box. "Open it," He commanded, his eyes sharp and searching as he stared from him to the box.

Sasuke felt his skin crawl as he stared at it, not thinking it contained anything he would ever want. "Am I in trouble for sleeping so long?" He asked, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Just open the box, Sasuke!" His brother snapped, and Sasuke grabbed for the box on impulse, opening it as he rose an eyebrow at the contents.

"Is this a friendship bracelet?" He questioned, reaching in and grabbing for the silver band, finger tracing over the red jewel encased in it. Sasuke's eyes flickered to a similar one on Itachi's own wrist, grinning at his brother. "It _is_ a friendship bracelet...does this make us best…" He was cut off as Itachi lunged forward.

Sasuke gasped as he was tackled back onto the bed, his arms coming up on instinct as they wrapped around Itachi's neck. He moaned as Itachi's lips trembled against his, seeking permission as he opened for him. The world exploded behind his eyes as he couldn't comprehend the lips actually moving against his, gasping as Itachi finally pulled away.

Dark eyes opened, seeing matching ones staring down at him. Itachi looked terrified...he looked almost guilty. Shouldn't he be feeling guilty as well? Shouldn't this be eating him up inside for what he was doing to Naruto? Why did it feel so right then? Why did he want more?

Not knowing how Itachi would react, Sasuke reached up to pull the other back down to his mouth, wanting his sin again if he were going to bathe in this madness. Itachi hesitantly kissed back, pulling away as if he were in pain as he gripped Sasuke's hips. "No…" He managed, and Sasuke heard the agony in his tone.

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows, the harsh sense of rejection filling him as he began to pant. "Why...I thought...I thought you wanted me?"

Itachi pulled back at that, hands cupping each side of Sasuke's face, inches from each other as Itachi straddled his hips. "There aren't words for how much I want you. How much I've always wanted you." Lips covered his again, as if he couldn't help himself as he laid their foreheads together. "I'm sorry…" He managed as he reached for something, and Sasuke felt a clink on his wrist. "Go to sleep, Otouto...just for awhile, okay?" He managed, and Sasuke's eyes widened in fear as he felt something overtaking him, and then his eyes slid to the back of his head.

His eyes came back into focus, fingertips trailing down Itachi's spine as the other breathed into his neck. "What are you doing, Aniki?" He managed in his ear, shifting to throw his leg over his hip and roll them over. "Did you kiss him?" He accused, Itachi's eyes dark and sad as they watched. "Did you!?"

"Brightness…" Itachi managed, hands coming up to reach for him. "You're not two separate people." Hands slid up his thighs, his stomach, pulling him down. "I've waited so long to touch you again…" He managed, sounding pained as he cupped his cheek. "Talk to me."

"You have me on your hips, and you want to talk to me?" Sasuke asked, shifting on Itachi as the other couldn't take his eyes off his face.

"Yes," Itachi agreed. "I just want to talk to you…" Itachi pulled him down to his lips. He pulled back, eyes shut in pleasure as his hands trailed up his hips. "Just talk to me."

"Did you want to fuck him?" Sasuke questioned, taking this in stride, who knew how long this would last before the headaches started again and he was forced back into his box.

Itachi gave a small laugh. "Only you Otouto could get jealous of yourself," Itachi's eyes opened. "It's you then...after all this time."

"The bracelet?" Sasuke questioned, holding up his wrist as he examined it, recognizing the stone. He looked down at the one on Itachi's own wrist, frowning as he put everything together. "You're suppressing him." No wonder he was so exhausted. "Aniki...that's too much chakra. You won't be able to sustain it for long."

Itachi sat up with the other still in his lap, hand wrapping around his waist. "You're here...it's worth it."

Sasuke blinked, eyebrows knitted as his heart rate increased. "Such things you say...why are you being like this?"

"It's not a trick," Itachi immediately supplied, arms tightening around him as if he were afraid he was going to run. "No more tricks, Otouto, not ever."

Sasuke laughed, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes. "I don't believe you." Itachi thrived in treachery. "What you're doing to him...to me...you're getting me ready for the Kyuubi. You had me raised by Obito." Sasuke reacted then, hitting him as hard as he could. "Obito!"

Itachi growled, grabbing for his wrists as Sasuke's eyes flooded with the sharingan, anger consuming him as he growled. "Obito is your cousin."

"Obito is the reason for most of my suffering in this world!" Sasuke screamed at him. "You fucking prick!" He leaned in, teeth clenched as he struggled against those wrists. "After what he did to me...after he made me kill you!"

Itachi seemed startled by the reminder, but flipped them back over and slammed Sasuke's hands above his head. "Do you know why I kissed him?" He questioned, gripping harder as he crushed him under his weight. "Because he laughs! And he jokes! And he's happy!"

Sasuke snarled at that, batting his head forward and crashing into Itachi's as he rolled them over again, knees pressing into Itachi's chest as his hand gripped his neck. "Oh? He's happy...so you want someone that's happy? Give him time Aniki, he hasn't been ruined by you yet!"

"You are so relentlessly annoying!" Itachi yelled up at him, anger lighting up his features as Sasuke squeezed harder. "I would never touch him."

"You touched him…" Sasuke growled back, denying his false sense of propriety. "You're touching him now…" He leaned in. "I'm fucking dead, Itachi."

He grabbed him then, hand gripping the back of his neck and his ass, pulling him close as he slid their cocks together. "You don't feel dead," He managed, gripping his wrist as he showed it to the other. "I'm going to fix you...But first...I'm going to fuck you for the first time in 10 years. Think you can handle that?"

"Thought you just wanted to _talk_?" Sasuke mocked him, fingertips grabbing the back of Itachi's tank top, yanking it over his head as his nails dug down his back. "But why wouldn't you want to fuck me…" He leaned into Itachi's ear. "I've been trained by your favorite person." He mocked, grunting as he was tossed backwards and blanketed by his brother.

"Shut up Sasuke," Itachi growled, hands going to roughly rip open his shorts as he glared daggers down at him. "One only wonders why I even want you back," He threw the shorts and boxers across the room, reaching down to rip open his shirt.

"Yet you do want me back…" Sasuke said, splayed before him. His nerves were starting to catch up with his anger as Itachi stared.

"Of course I want you back…" Itachi spoke, voice a breathless whisper as he stared down at the body that didn't truly belong to him. "I've missed you...I've ached for you." Itachi kissed his way down his stomach, kissing the inside of his thighs as Sasuke moaned in arousal. "Just you...and all your irritating quirks...and you're big mouth...and your memories." Itachi bit the inside of his thigh. "You know me."

"I know you…" Sasuke agreed, leading that wandering mouth to his cock as Itachi sunk down on it. He gasped, fingers gripping Itachi's hair as his legs splayed over those shoulders. His mouth sunk up and down on him, and Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he could even recall what it felt like to be touched. "I know you…" He breathed again, fingers digging into that hair as he pushed him down, wanting more. "Fuck...Itachi…" He managed, so close from the over stimulation.

Itachi pulled off before he could cum, Sasuke whining at the loss of that wet heat. He sunk lower, and he cried out as a tongue swiped his entrance. He groaned as it pressed inside of him, and he tried to push back all of his insecurities and remember that he had wanted this. He had wanted Itachi back more than anything.

A finger slid in with that tongue as Itachi's hand came back to his cock. His mind was working a mile a minute, trying to decide if this was real. Did Itachi really love him this time? "'Tach...Gods…." He twisted in the sheets, trying to get that mouth deeper as another finger was added, thrusting against him.

He had to know. He had to know if this was real...if Itachi really wanted him. If he would control himself. "I'm sorry…" He managed, and he saw Itachi's eyes snap up to him, pulling back to watch him. 

"About what, Otouto?" He managed, crawling up his body as he positioned himself between his legs. He slid down his pants, pulling himself out as he groaned. "You have nothing to apologize to me for."

Sasuke shook his head, emotion welling up in his gut as his eyes filled with tears. "I killed you…" He managed, gasping as Itachi slid inside him to the hilt.

"Not dead…" He managed, eyes shut as he buried his face in Sasuke's shoulder. "I forgot what it felt like to be with you…"

"With your soul's mate?" Sasuke whispered, pulling him to his lips as they kissed almost desperately, the other thrusting inside him as they moved. Sasuke's legs came up around his waist, ankles pressing into his hip bones as he moved with him, pressing him deeper as Itachi moaned into his ear.

"Sasuke...Forgive me...Forgive me…." He managed, thrusting faster, deeper as his hips rolled in the bed. "Please…." He managed, and Sasuke felt his pleasure building as the other still knew exactly how to touch him.

Sasuke had forgiven Itachi the moment he had plunged the dagger into his stomach, but he couldn't bring himself to say the words. "Forgive yourself…" He whispered into his ear, dragging that mouth back to him as he came hard between their stomachs. Itachi followed after, filling him as he buried his face in his neck.

Itachi shuttered as he rocked their hips together, experiencing all the aftershocks that came from being celibate for 10 years. Though of course, Sasuke realized, just because he hadn't touched anyone, didn't mean Itachi hadn't. He rubbed up the toned back, Itachi not having looked up yet. "You must be exhausted...I have no idea how you've been holding me here this long."

His brother stirred against him, lifting his head up finally and Sasuke sighed as he was kissed. "I'd hold you here forever if I could." Itachi kissed along his neck, pulling up and yanking Sasuke with him to sit in his lap, still nestled inside of him. "Why not come to me during your blackouts, Otouto?" He questioned, hands tracing up his spine.

"You didn't either, Aniki," Sasuke accused. "I didn't have much control...snippets before he took over again. Not enough to find you," Itachi could have found him, but then he never really was all that great at looking. He leaned against his shoulder, arms wrapping around him as he knew this couldn't last for long. "What are we going to do?"

Itachi exhaled, tilting his head back as if he were pained to even think about it. "You'll go crazy if your memories mix too much. The things you've gone through…" His fingers trailed down his side. "What you've done to yourself to get here...it would destroy you."

"Him," Sasuke corrected, entwining their fingers. "It'd be easier if you just let me go, you know?" He assured him. "He could be what you want."

"He's not what I want," Itachi growled, grabbing his spikes as he yanked him back. "Why must you question my loyalty to you? I didn't know I could get you back. I swear it, Sasuke."

Sasuke blinked at him, seeing the scared way his brother looked at him. "I question your loyalty because you've made me do so." He held up his wrist as the bracelet slid to his forearm. "You put a stone back on me...after what you did last time?"

"You know what it's for," Itachi growled, glaring at him. "Your soul is your own," He hissed at him, eyes slitted with the sharingan.

"My soul has always been yours…" Sasuke corrected him, seeing the guilt flash in his brother's eyes. "You know...You're not the only one that needs to be forgiven." He admitted, rubbing up Itachi's thighs. "I need to be forgiven."

Sharingan eyes flickered up to his, as if searching for an answer. "I don't blame you for what you did."

Sasuke scoffed, shaking his head. "Yes, but I blame me. I changed the world for my mistake...to get you back...I got so angry Aniki." He admitted, blinking back tears as he grabbed for Itachi's hair. "No matter what you did...it didn't justify it. I killed my own soul, regardless of the fact that by doing so got mine back to me."

Itachi covered his mouth, stopping his talking as his eyes searched for something. "You've done a lot in your life to apologize for, but that will never be one of them." He uncovered his lips, covering them with his own as they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. "We'll give you his memories." He told him suddenly, kissing all along his chin. "You can handle those...we'll give you his consciousness and soon you'll have his life."

He tried to take that all in, realizing the implications of what that would mean. "Killing my other half?" At least he had practice at that.

"Don't think of it like that," Itachi tried. "It should have been like it was with me...this should have happened a long time ago."

"Does that justify it?" Sasuke questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Is that how you justify things in your head...You shouldn't have gotten sick. It wasn't how it should have been." Itachi looked like he wanted to hit him, but exhaled his anger as his eyes were hard and closed off.

"I just want you," He managed.

"You have me...He is me...remember?" Sasuke questioned, and Itachi huffed in frustration.

"So now you want me to touch him?" Itachi asked, grinning at that way Sasuke's eyes flashed with the sharingan. "Don't worry…" He soothed. "I don't want to touch him...I don't want to touch anyone but you…" He hissed as if in pain, laying their foreheads together. "Otouto, I can't any longer...I can't hold you here."

Sasuke stared down at himself, knowing he looked debased...feeling Itachi inside him. "How are you going to explain it?" He asked him, sliding off of Itachi and hissing at the feel of his brother sliding out of him. "He'll know."

"No doubt," Itachi agreed. "I'll think of something. I can bring you back when my chakra has refreshed. Until then…" Itachi yanked him close to kiss him. "Stay out of trouble."

"No promises there, Aniki." Sasuke managed, smiling at the familiarity. "There's no explaining this, you know."

Itachi actually grinned at that. "Yeah, brat, I know…" Didn't matter though, did it? Sasuke always believed what Itachi told him. He was sure this version wasn't any different. Not when he loved him the way he did. He'd believe Itachi in any world.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.


	7. End Game

Never Fading Light

Chapter 7: End Game

Sasuke panted as he sprang through the trees. His heart was pounding so hard in his ears he couldn't even see straight. All he could smell was the acrid metallic stench of blood that was smeared across his face. He wouldn't think about it. If he thought about what happened he would break down, and then they would catch them.

...He wouldn't let them catch him again.

Bile rose up in his throat as he felt that soreness once more between his legs. It was the same feeling he had woken up with. He gripped a tree, leaning against it as he spewed vomit along the ground. He allowed himself only a moment of respite, before pushing himself forward with his chakra once again.

It was nighttime, and more than a few of the Akatsuki had been on missions. Maybe they hadn't seen the trail of blood yet coming from Itachi's room. A keened moan of horror left his throat as he remembered, mind flashing to the shuriken...and the warm blood that poured down his wrist. Blood, so very much like his own.

Sasuke froze, thoughts not able to turn treacherous as a blue flames lit up the night. They danced across his vision as the trees all around him began to catch fire. A rumbling overtook them as they began to crash down one by one as something was coming. Zetsu had warned him what was out in the woods. He just didn't think they would come quite so soon.

He crouched down in the tree, trying to make himself invisible as he saw the great monster emerge. It was the two-tailed beast Nibi. He had heard rumors of just this Jinchuuriki alone taking out villages. It was vicious.

Tears stung his eyes at how bad it throbbed between his legs while crouched at this angle. How could he? How the fuck could his brother do that to him? He had woken up in his bed, and he knew what they had done. ...What he had done to him while he was unconscious.

He covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle his sobs as the monster stalked through the trees. Itachi had tried to explain to him what had happened, but it didn't really matter, did it? Itachi had touched him. Itachi had _raped_ him. The sick fuck had took something from him that only belonged to his dobe. It hadn't been hard to slash the shuriken across his throat. He had felt nothing but hate for the bastard who lied to him, abandoned him, and then thought he could touch him. It was revulsion that had come over him as the blood splashed across his arm, not sadness, not remorse.

He didn't know if it had killed him. He hadn't waited around to see the end result. If he wanted to get passed the perimeter, he had to go fast. They'd kill him for this if they caught him. ...They'd probably do a lot worse.

Sasuke watched the Nibi's movement with his sharingan, looking for any openings he could get passed. He didn't think it knew he was there yet. It would have called for help by now. He saw an opening, diving down to the forest floor as he took off in a sprint. He heard a roar behind him as everything around him was burning with blue flames.

He sprinted through the forest, hearing the monster quaking behind him as whatever poor bastard it inhabited was forced around in that prison. The Akatsuki never let their Jinchuuriki regain their human form. They were trapped in that animalistic fervor forever. He would never let Naruto join that hell. Not ever.

Of course, he could also try to fight the Nibi, but with how upset he was he knew there was a good chance he would lose. ANBU didn't take those chances. He swung around a tree, avoiding a path with fire as he heard the Nibi begin to head in the opposite direction. He didn't know he was there. There were at least some small miracles.

Sasuke looked back to make sure it wasn't following, and gasped as something hit his neck, knocking him back hard. He was coughing, sprawled along the ground as he gasped for breath. Sasuke gripped at his bruised throat as he looked up, eyes widening in shock as he fell backwards in relief. He caught his breath, before kipping himself up to his feet, and running towards their arms.

"Obito!" He panted, clutching at his adoptive father as his entire body trembled with relief. "Gods I'm so glad to see you!" Why had he come here? Why had he left his home? He had been happy in Konoha. He had been happy before he had ever had the ridiculous notion to come find Itachi.

"Sasuke…" The elder Uchiha breathed, clutching him tight as he pulled him closer. "What's wrong? You're trembling."

"I found Itachi…" Sasuke confessed, the anxiety and stress over the last few weeks catching up with him. "I found him...and he's different…" Was different. He didn't realize how bad his voice was shaking as he sobbed into his cousin's shoulder. "He k-k-killed the clan," And then came on his stomach. "He's the leader of the Akatsuki," And fucked him while he was unconscious. "We have to tell them...We have to tell Konoha,"

"Ssshhh…." Obito cooed, and if Sasuke was more in his right mind he would be asking why his cousin was standing in the middle of this forest. "It's okay...It's alright now Sas…" He pet his spikes, and Sasuke just clung to him harder as he felt like he was eight years old again and staring down at his dead parents.

"I want to go home," He begged. "I want Naruto...and Kakashi...I shouldn't have come here," he admitted, because this was the worst mistake he had ever made.

Obito sighed, rubbing his back. "Naruto will be happy to hear that. He's been going crazy with worry. Think he's onto the fact that you're not on a mission."

Sasuke gave a shaky laugh, aware he was smearing Itachi's blood all over his cousin. "Stupid Dobe...can't believe it took him this long." He saw the blonde's smiling face, those bright blue eyes twinkling at him. "We have to go. They'll be looking."

Lips pressed against his spikes, and Sasuke finally felt his heart begin to slow as he felt safe for the first time in so long. "No Sas…" Obito whispered in his ear. "They won't," Sasuke's breath hitched as he felt a stinging pressure in his neck, and he felt his body go lax as he was swept up into Obito's arms. "They already sent me to find you and bring you back."

Sasuke knitted his eyebrows, betrayal coursing through him as he managed to raise his palm, pawing at Obito's face as his eyesight was going bleary. "No...not you...not…" He managed to center his chakra, shooting Obito in the face with Chidori before everything went black.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

"He could have killed you," He heard a voice murmur as he began to come to. "Almost cut the artery. Don't think he likes you as much as you thought."

"You almost sound jealous, cousin," Itachi murmured, and his voice sounded strained. He sounded hurt. "I'm not taking him from you,"

"What the fuck did you do to him?" Obito growled, voice more heated than a moment ago. "He was terrified. I've never seen him like that."

"It was a misunderstanding," Itachi supplied, but there was hesitation in his voice. Hesitation and almost...guilt. "I didn't touch him."

"Liar," Sasuke breathed out, opening his eyes as he took in the two standing over his bed, trying to keep the hate free from his features. "You touched me."

Itachi's eyes skirted over his form, always perceptive his Aniki. "Otouto?" He questioned, and Sasuke noticed the bandages wrapping all the way around his neck.

"Did it hurt?" He questioned him, sitting up and noticing his wrist chained to the bed again.

"It stung a bit," Itachi said carefully, as if testing the waters. "Are you okay?"

"Doubtful," Sasuke replied back with, glancing over to Obito Uchiha. "You're a traitor," he hissed, not giving him a chance to defend himself. "I trusted you. You're a lying cheating rat!" He growled, spitting forward, and frowning as it missed its mark. Itachi's eyes were on him, but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to deal with that...not yet. He had bigger fish to fry.

"Sasuke," Obito started, and Sasuke bared his teeth at him, wishing he could actually snarl. "I care for you."

"Yeah," he hissed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You sociopathic assholes always seem to." His eyes roamed over Obito's face, seeing the bandage over half of it. He laughed at the irony. "Your face is burnt."

"Lucky shot," Obito pointed out. "I deserved it, don't worry."

"I'm not," Sasuke assured him. "Just wish my aim had been better." He smirked as Obito winced.

"Sas...I can explain what happened. The Akatsuki, they're not as bad as you think," Obito started. "You don't know what a monster Konoha really is,"

"Naruto is going to be Hokage in that village," Sasuke growled out, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the way Itachi glared. He winked at him, and he saw Itachi stiffen in his chair. Slow learner.

"He is only going to be so that they can control the Kyuubi inside of him!" Obito barked right back. "I care for him too. That is why I sent you here! They'll kill the both of you and not give a damn about it!"

"And Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned, feeling Sharingan eyes boring into him. "What about your lover? What about you goddamn lover, Obito!?"

"He doesn't have to know!" Obito yelled. "Not yet...Not until it's time,"

"Cousin…" He heard Itachi warn as he got closer. 

"Time for what?" Sasuke questioned, crawling closer on the bed as his hand gripped the chain attached to him. "What are you planning with my brother, cousin?" He questioned. "Does it involve me?" He gripped the chain tighter as he crawled closer.

"It does," Obito said back, no denial in his voice. "But you know that. I can see that ring on your hand." Sasuke glanced down at his hand to where the Akatsuki ring had been placed, and his breath hitched as his cousin gripped his chin to make him look up.

Sasuke was grinning ferally as he did, eyes red with the sharingan as he pounced. He wrapped the chain around Obito's neck, falling backwards onto the bed and taking him with him as he squeezed. He satisfied himself with choking the life out of him as he tried to get Chidori to light up his fingers, but couldn't manage to connect to his chakra.

"Enough!" Itachi growled, pulling them apart and dragging Sasuke back with him. "Brightness…" Itachi murmured in his ear, dragging him back and holding him as he struggled. "Obito. Leave."

Obito sat up in bed, rubbing his throat and looking accusingly at Itachi first, and then to the still struggling Sasuke in his arms. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing is wrong with me...traitorous scum!" Sasuke screamed at him, trying to connect to his chakra, trying to get out of the strong arms around him that had once more plotted with his enemy. "I'm going to tell them! They're going to leave you!" Itachi gripped his waist harder, one hand coming to his hair as he tugged to try to get him to calm down. "Then I'm going to kill you! I'm going to rip you into pieces...all over again!"

"Obito, he's not going to calm down, and I can't have him passing out again," Sasuke smirked to himself. Of course Itachi didn't want him to pass out. If he did he would wake up, and the imposter would be in his place. The imposter that really owned this body he had let his brother defile.

"He wants to keep me just the way I am," Sasuke said, laughing as he leaned into Itachi and kissed his cheek. "This version doesn't try to kill him...anymore."

"What the fuck is wrong with him, Itachi?" Obito questioned. "He's lost his damn mind!"

"He never really had it to begin with," Itachi assured. "Out. Now. I need him calm."

"Do you really think that's going to happen?" Obito asked. "With you?"

"He seems to like me a great deal more than you right now, cousin," Itachi assured him. "I can sick him on you again if you really want to play this game, though."

Sasuke began to struggle again at those words, Itachi's hands gripping him tighter to try to still the struggles. "That's what you do, isn't it? Play games...with Obito!"

"I wasn't asking!" Itachi finally shouted, and Sasuke glanced back to see his eyes had windmilled with the mangekyo. "I will make you leave if I have to." Sasuke felt wetness along his neck, and realized Itachi had ripped the stitches in his neck and the bandage was now soaked.

"If I find out you hurt him, I'll kill you," Obito warned. "That isn't a threat."

"I'm going to kill you, Obito," Sasuke warned him right back. "That isn't a threat, either." Obito's eyebrows knitted in pain at the words, but said nothing as he saw the look Itachi was giving him. He shook his head, turning and exiting the room. "Get your hands off me," Sasuke hissed, voice a deadly cold. To his surprise, Itachi immediately relented.

Sasuke spun to face Itachi, eyes narrowed in hate. "What are you plotting with our cousin, dear brother?"

"Don't look at me like that," Itachi replied, voice almost wounded as he seemed to realize what he had walked himself into. "This isn't the same as…" He actually stopped himself from saying it, as if he couldn't bring himself to say those words.

Sasuke could though.

"Since you plotted the murder of our clan with him, then had me raped, tortured, and stole my soul with him?" Sasuke questioned, the earlier anger gone only to be replaced by that seething rage that was normally the growl of the Kyuubi in his chest. But he didn't have the Kyuubi anymore.

"You told me you forgave me," Itachi reminded him, not admitting to any of the accusations, even though they both know how true they were.

"Didn't you hear?" Sasuke questioned with an eyebrow raise. "I'm certifiable. Ask Deidara and Sasori...They had to pick up the pieces that you left behind after I stabbed you," It felt like he had been stabbed in the gut at the reminder, pain etched across his very soul. "Something my other half clearly had no trouble following me in."

"Where is your other half?" Itachi questioned, pressing a hand to his bleeding neck as he wrapped it in new bandages.

"He likes to hide from his problems, too," the Uchiha informed him. "Funny how similar we are."

"You're not similar," Itachi argued, voice restrained as he clearly tried to keep Sasuke from once more losing his temper. "Not even a little bit."

"No," Sasuke agreed with that assumption. "We aren't. It's tragic." He stared down at his cuffed wrist, frowning at the bondage as he held up his wrist. "Take it off."

"Take it off yourself," Itachi shot right back with. "Even in your anger over Obito, I never felt a glimmer of your chakra."

His clever Aniki… "I can't access it. Guess it means it doesn't belong to me, doesn't it?" He questioned. "Just like this body I let you fuck and traumatize."

"Careful," Itachi growled, knowing exactly where Sasuke was heading with this. "I'm being very patient with you."

Sasuke glanced down at his cuffed wrist, holding it up for Itachi to see as he held his gaze. "Oh. Are you?" He turned his wrist, holding it towards his brother again. "Take it off," he demanded again, and dared Itachi to argue with him.

Itachi got closer to him, not saying a word as he observed his little brother. "Are you going to run if I take it off?" He hand swept across his cheek, cupping the back of his head and dragging him up onto his knees as he leaned in. "Can I kiss you?"

Sasuke's heart leapt in his chest, pushing his feelings down as he held his resolve after seeing Itachi once more with Obito. With the person who had ruined their lives. "You've never felt the need to ask permission." His eyes narrowed as he pushed him back with one palm. "Get his permission, and then you can kiss him."

His brother glared at him, grabbing him by the back of the thighs and hefting him up, lifting him into his arms and crashing their lips together. Sasuke felt electricity shoot down to his toes as his legs wrapped around Itachi's hips on instinct, even though he was angry, even though he hated him. But that's what this was really all about wasn't it? His body was trained. His soul was weak and in pieces...but for the moment still his.

Sasuke didn't kiss him back, letting Itachi knead their lips as the hands tightened around him in frustration. He finally pulled back, keeping him supported up on his hips as he kissed down his neck. "I'll kill him if you want me to...Obito was convenient in your upbringing. I don't need him now."

Itachi sounded almost desperate, needing him to agree to the offer. He needed him. Sasuke's breath hitched at that, legs tightening further around around his hips, heels pressing into his back as his hands fisted in long black tresses. "My upbringing...You mean the one you were supposed to be apart of?"

His Aniki held his gaze, coal black eyes focused on Sasuke's own. "Did you want me to raise you? That would have been sick. You know that." Itachi kissed him again, and Sasuke turned his face away to break the contact.

"You didn't need me," He murmured in reply, not letting go. He didn't think he'd ever be able to fully let Itachi go. "You were better." 

"Stop it," Itachi snapped, throwing Sasuke down onto the bed as he glowered down at him. "We're not having this conversation. It wasn't you."

"No," Sasuke agreed. "I made you better. The ripped up one with scars changed the future and made you better...something you were never able to do in all your genius."

"I've praised you for it," Itachi argued, eyes now guarded and fists clenched at his sides.

"You always give me what I want," Sasuke agreed, leaning back on his elbows. "Always...and never." Regardless of how dead he felt inside, he still had to blink back the tears at this realization. "What was your plan with Obito?"

Itachi shook his head in frustration. "You know the plan, Otouto. You're not stupid."

He did know the plan. Obito had been sent to watch over him and Naruto. He was supposed to gain their trust, and then when Itachi was ready to enact the plan he was going to be the one to pull the pin to get things started. He had sent him to Itachi, knowing that eventually Naruto would follow. He would come to the middle of all of these Jinchuuriki and spring the trap.

"I always wondered why you refused to kill him...Why you kept him alive even after he fucked me," Sasuke mused. "I think I was too caught up in it to realize your end game then. What you were going to do if you had lived." Sasuke sat up then, playing with the manicle on his wrist, noticing the bracelet Itachi had given him was absent. "When you killed me you were going to have to put it somewhere, right? You were going to have to put all of them somewhere. Naruto was always the key."

He watched the emotions play out over Itachi's features. They were subtle, but then he knew his Aniki better than anyone. He could see the worry, followed by anger, followed by frustration. "I want you," He finally said, as if he couldn't think of anything else to say to cover the fact that Sasuke had spent 10 years inside his own head examining all of his brother's flaws. ...Finally able to see them when he wasn't consumed by his grief.

"I know," Sasuke agreed, because he did. Itachi wanted him. He had given up his life for him. Deep down in that sociopathic brain of his he was sure he loved him. He crawled back over to Itachi on the bed, sitting up once more on his knees as his palms slid up along his brother's stomach. "Conditioning will do wonders."

Itachi sighed and grabbed Sasuke's wrists to still his movements. "Conditioning?" He questioned, hands squeezing hard enough to get him to wince.

"I knew it was my sickness…" He told him, shaking his head sadly. "This thing between us...it's always been me." Itachi's eyes flooded with the sharingan, and he couldn't bring himself to fear that world in his mind. "You had to make me fall in love with you, right? You had to fuck me."

His brother actually laughed at that, but Sasuke held his resolve even in his surprise. "Are you joking?" Red eyes scanned his face. "Otouto...Of all things that might be questionable between the two of us, me wanting to put my dick in you is not one of them. I wasn't conditioned to fuck you because I needed to." He yanked him back close, cupping Sasuke's skull as he laid their foreheads together. "I've always wanted you."

"Always...and never," Sasuke repeated, though he was trembling slightly at their nearness. "I found you in every world and made you come to me." He kissed Itachi then, pulling back. "You didn't come for me here. You let your ambitions take over. Because I was never the most important thing to you." Not in their world, and certainly not in this one. "And you aren't the most important thing to him. He killed you without hesitation."

"I'm not dead," Itachi whispered against his lips, as if it were a secret he wasn't even sure of. As if it were something he regretted.

"No," Sasuke agreed. "But he would rather you were at the thought that you had touched him." Itachi flinched underneath his hands, and Sasuke saw regret flash through his eyes. "We were both conditioned. You to get my soul...and me because you needed it. I thought there's no way I could have changed the world and we wouldn't be together."

But they weren't. He was with Naruto. Itachi was ruling the world. They didn't need each other. There wasn't some all consuming compulsion to be together or the universe would implode. The truth of the matter was it had all been a lie. He had wrought Itachi's destruction upon their world based on a lie. Based on conditioning. He had ruined everything.

He didn't realize he was crying until a thumb swept across his cheek to wipe them away. "What's going on in that head of yours, Otouto?" He questioned, shaking his head. "Please don't do this," He grit his teeth, frustration clearly taking over. "You won't like the results."

"I belong in hell for what I did, Itachi," Sasuke replied. "Nothing you could ever do will ever match that knowledge."

Itachi growled, grabbing his wrist and pulling out a key to undo the manicule. "Get out," he snapped at him. "If you think I'm forcing you into being here, than go!" He grabbed him by the shirt, tossing him off the bed, and Sasuke grunted as he had to struggle to remain on his feet. "I won't let you do this. To pretend like what we have doesn't matter."

Sasuke righted himself along the wall, pushing up as he watched his brother warily. This was normally the point he instilled his most wicked lessons. "It would ruin your plans if I went back to him."

"If you went back to him, it would do a lot more to me than ruin my plans," Itachi assured him, pointing to the exit. "If you want to leave, there's the door." Itachi was angry, and more than that, he almost looked hurt. "I didn't know Sasuke!" He yelled at him. "I didn't…" He shook his head, and Sasuke realized how pale his brother had become. "It's never been about your body. I've fucked your clones before, Otouto...it never filled the void." He began to pace, and Sasuke felt his legs get unsteady beneath him as he had rarely ever seen his brother this upset. "I only ever wanted _you._ I fell in love with _you_."

No lessons then. Just the rarity of honesty.

Itachi had only ever told him he loved him a handful of times. Always in the most desperate of times. This wasn't any different. "I know," He managed, because he did know that Itachi loved him. He felt it when his soul was given back to him. "We had our chance though. It didn't work. I shouldn't come back here anymore."

"Selfless, really?" Itachi questioned him, mocking anger filling his tone. "You did this Sasuke!" He screamed at him, knocking his hand towards the lamp as it shattered against the wall. "You did this so we could be together! Not so that I could fuck your clone!" Itachi stalked over, shoving him hard against the wall. "Take some responsibility for your actions just one time!" He slammed his palm on the side of his head. "Why do you always make me do this? Why must you always be so stubborn?"

"It's the Uchiha way, I suppose," He said cheekily, even though his heart was pounding in fear as Itachi's eyes shifted. "Going to torture me, now?"

"Why would I ever need to torture you, Sasuke?" Itachi questioned. "You do quite enough of that yourself," He growled, beginning to drag him out of the room. Sasuke struggled, trying to fight against Itachi as he was pulled down the hallway. "You want a grand gesture? I've made those. I've proposed to you. I've died for you." Sasuke clawed at that powerful wrist as he knew where they were headed, and he couldn't tap into any of his chakra to fight back.

Itachi used his strength to drag him towards the cells, throwing him into one and slamming the door. "Perhaps it's time I gave you what you begged me for."

Sasuke glared, slamming himself up against the cell as they stared at each other through the bars. "Just because I'm in this cell again, Aniki, it doesn't mean I'm going to beg for your dick."

His brother grabbed both of his wrists through the bars, clasping the bracelet down on one of them. "We've played that game plenty of times. Not what I was referring to, though it is one of my favorites."

Sasuke stared at the bracelet in incredulity. "Are you crazy? You don't have the chakra to hold me here."

"Ah," Itachi breathed, still gripping his wrists tightly. "I don't, but like you said, that sycophant version of you likes to hide. He can stay in your head for as long as he wants for all I'm concerned. It doesn't strain me to hold back a coward." He kissed him through the bars, holding Sasuke tight as the other tried to pull away. "But a little insurance never hurt anyone," He pulled back, flicking Sasuke's forehead. "Be happy it's not the diadem."

Sasuke reached up at the familiar gesture, squirming as desire went through him even with his anger. Itachi saw the action, giving him a smirk. "What are you going to do, Itachi?"

"What I should have done back then when that cretin touched you," Itachi replied, feral grin stretched across his lips as dread filled Sasuke's gut. "I'm going to go into Konoha and grab Naruto myself...and then I'm going to kill him." His grin widened as his eyes sparkled with madness. "Don't eat too many rats while I'm gone, Otouto." He teased, winking as he let go of him and walked out the door even as Sasuke was screaming at him to come back.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.


	8. Hold On

The Never Fading Light

Chapter 8: Hold On

Sasuke threw himself uselessly against the bars for what felt like the millionth time, teeth gritted in frustration as his bones ached from the strain. He couldn't feel anything besides the pain. None of his power. None of the chakra inside of him that made him a distinguished shinobi. It was locked away, just like he was. It was locked away while Itachi did who knew what travesties in his name.

How could he have been so stupid? How could he have set such a feral beast on one of his only friends? How could he have once again brought such travesty and ruin upon Naruto, without even really knowing him in this life? It was wrong, as were so many of Itachi's lessons. It was so wrong, and there was nothing he could do but wait. Itachi's bracelet secured to his wrist had assured that. He couldn't bring his other half to the surface, even if he stopped hiding. He couldn't bring him to the surface even if all he wanted to do was hide himself.

He gripped the bars in frustration, sliding down onto the floor as he glared at the adjoining wall. Itachi knew that this would happen. He knew he would be stuck in this body that wasn't even his. This was his lesson alone, not for the person who would probably actually take it to heart.

Naruto was his other half's soulmate. He was his alone, and Itachi was about to rip him away.

Who could blame him though? His Aniki watched him with someone else for 10 years. He saw him get fucked...saw him lose his virginity to someone other than him. Sasuke knew in his heart that Itachi had watched, they both got off on that perversion. He had watched...and he had done nothing. Sasuke glared, nails cracking as they dug into the pavement. All he had to do was figure out a way out of the cell. All he had to do was get through the forest and back to Konoha.

He didn't have the ability to open the cell reinforced with not only steel, but with chakra. If he couldn't get out on his own, he had to get someone to let him out. Sasuke had screamed in these cells before. No one had answered, but they were different back then. He had been Itachi's toy. He supposed in a lot of ways he still was, but this version had a specific purpose to draw Naruto in as bait. They didn't know what Itachi really wanted for him. If he could only get one of them in the room, he could tell them just how stupid Itachi was being at this moment.

Impulsive…

For him…

One last grand gesture that made his stomach spin, and his heart pound as he looked down at his hand where a ring should have been. His chest ached at the thought of what that ring had meant between them. He knew it meant his death, but Sasuke had loved every day he wore it. He had given it back to Itachi...even though it wasn't currently on his brother's finger. Sasuke banged his head against the wall. He wasn't able to believe that he was thinking about the fact that his brother wasn't wearing his engagement ring when he had locked him in a cell and set off to murder his friend.

What was he doing? Why didn't he have more control at this point? He had changed the world to garner his brother's affections, and he was in an even worse place than he had been when he left. They didn't love each other anymore. Had they ever really? Had Itachi ever loved him if he thought murdering his friend, the only person in that fucking village to ever be kind to him, would be a grand gesture?

"Funny I should find you here," Sasuke startled at the sound of the voice, glancing up in surprise at who had come to check the bear trap.

"Hidan," He greeted the masochist, pushing himself to his feet and backing up as he watched him warily. His mind flashed to the last time he had seen him...to the knife sliding down his flesh, and healing as it glided through like butter. Itachi had come for him then. He didn't think he would come for him now. Hidan meant pain, and he didn't want this fresh body to get covered in scars.

"I thought Itachi let you out," He teased, tattooed fingers thrumming along the bars as he paced in front of them.

"Would you believe I accidentally locked myself in?" Sasuke questioned, skin tingling at the feral way the masochistic shinobi was staring at him. ...He knew him. His other half had already experienced the man's 'art'.

"Not really," Hidan replied, grinning as he pressed against the bars, gripping them with each hand. "But then...I know your brother." Those dark eyes watched him, and Sasuke saw hunger in their depths. "Does he fuck you?"

"What business is it of yours?" Sasuke bit back, cheeks reddening in a way he didn't know was possible. Itachi had always made it very clear what they were to each other. From the first moment he had opened his eyes in this place he had marked his territory. The thought that they didn't know...that it was a dirty secret... was unnerving.

Hidan grinned, running a hand through his slicked back silver locks. "Not a denial then. We all saw the little show he put on...It was like he couldn't help himself." He leaned his forehead against the bars. "Like he had seen a ghost."

"I wasn't aware that one of my Aniki's kinks was wanting to fuck apparitions," He replied cheekily, taking a deep breath and taking a step closer. It wouldn't do to show him any fear. He didn't know the Hidan of this world, but he had known the one in his. He knew how to manipulate him, even if it would hurt.

"Such endearments," Hidan teased, reaching into the cage to twirl his finger around a spike. "Do you do it willingly, or is it one of those situations where he holds you down and tells you to bite the pillow?"

Sasuke sneered, taking another step closer so he could feel the warm breath that always seemed to smell a little like blood. "You act like him holding me down and making me bite a pillow couldn't be willing?"

Hidan groaned, gripping Sasuke's chin and pulling him close. "Look at that...you made my dick hard. Couldn't stop thinking about our little session," His free hand lifted up Sasuke's still bandaged and healing hand, and he realized it must have that dull ache because Hidan had broken all of his fingers. "It's been years since I just gave and didn't receive. I wanted to know why?"

Sasuke took a deep breath, trying not to panic at that hands gripping him, or the implication of what being vulnerable like this could possibly mean. "Maybe you've just become less selfish in your old age?" He suggested, causing Hidan to laugh.

"Nah, that can't be it," His eyes scanned his face, as if he would be able to see his secret. "Pein said your soul isn't quite yours. Said you're full of something else. Would explain why I couldn't connect with you,"

"Don't take it personally," Sasuke replied. "I've been told I'm hard to get to know."

"So cheeky," Hidan purred, finger trailing down Sasuke's. "What happens when I cut your face open...will you be cheeky then?"

"Depends," Sasuke murmured, leaning in so their foreheads were touching. "Are you going to leave my tongue intact?" His free hand trailed down Hidan's chest, fingers tracing over his belt.

"Oh...I like you," Hidan murmured. "Guess I gotta make you bite now," He motioned towards the cot. "Go get on your knees,"

Sasuke backed up at that, trying not to panic as flashes of Orochimaru and Kabuto filled his head. His heart was pounding in his chest as he did what he was told, waiting for the moment the door to the cell opened. His eyes had gone blank as the panic began to take him. There hadn't been any pain when had lived in the darkness. There hadn't been any memories. There hadn't been the knowledge that Hidan actually thought he could touch him and there wouldn't be any consequences.

But then again...Itachi had never staked his claim.

"You're going to get me in trouble," Hidan singsonged. " Usually I have someone keeping me on track...I tend to go overboard." Sasuke tried to focus on where he was now, and not to being chained in Orochimaru's bed chambers. He was brought back to the present when he heard the cell door slide open.

"You'll find I'm a very eager participant," Sasuke looked up as Hidan came in. "Always wanting to learn a new skill."

Hidan gave a laugh at that, running a hand over his own mouth in anticipation. "Well now...Can see why he likes you. It's funny though...you're not the scared little kitten who went under my knife a few weeks ago."

"Liar," Sasuke murmured, looking up. "I wasn't scared a few weeks ago. I torture and murder people for a living...I'm used to going under the knife." He was trying to trick him into admitting something. It wouldn't work. 

"Yeah...guess you are," Hidan reached for his belt, frowning as he went to grab a kunai. "There's one missing…" He said out loud, and Sasuke took the opportunity to strike.

Sasuke swung his arm hard, taking Hidan by surprise as the kunai plunged deep into the side of his head. He followed the strike up with a kick to the chest, sending Hidan flying through the entrance to the cell and against the wall. He cracked his neck, walking over to the struggling body as he leaned down, straddling his waist. His eyes were red with Sharingan, rage pulsing through his veins even if chakra wasn't.

"Don't worry," He assured Hidan, petting the bloody mess that were his silver locks. "Someone will find you and take out the kunai...I just needed a head start. I actually do like you," He said, reaching down to grab another kunai out of Hidan's belt. "I get you...and I want us to be friends when I get back here with my brother. So I'll give you what you want," Hidan was trying to speak, but the kunai jammed in his cerebral cortex was preventing that. Sasuke jammed the kunai in Hidan's chest, dragging it as he filleted open his ribs, noticing the look of pleasure covering the man's face as he did. "That'll heal too...just didn't want to leave you hanging." He pocketed the blade. "And for the record...he absolutely does fuck me...and you know what…" He leaned into his ear, wondering if he could even hear it with the current brain damage to his remarkable body. "I love it,"

He removed the rest of Hidan's weapons, leaving him bleeding and happy on the floor. He wouldn't die...he didn't even know if Hidan could die. All he knew was that after Itachi found out what he had almost done...he's going to wish he could.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"I'm not asking you to break protocol!" Naruto exclaimed, having been at the ANBU headquarters for the last five hours trying to find out anything he could about where Sasuke had gone on mission. He hadn't heard from him in weeks. They always found some way to communicate with each other, even on extended missions. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Something had been wrong on his birthday, and he hadn't seen it. He had pressured him about having a fucking kid! What if he had run away? He was so weird when it came to commitments. He was so weird when it came to any mention of his clan, and his bastard of a brother.

The headaches had been getting worse. Sasuke had promised him they weren't affecting his missions, but how could they not be when they had been affecting everything else? Even their sex life. Sasuke tried to protect him, but he could see the pain. Hell, he was woken up almost nightly with his boyfriend's vivid dreaming. They never talked about it, and Naruto had accepted that. He loved Sasuke too much to give him an ultimatum and watch him leave. Sasuke pulled the wool over a lot of people's eyes when it came to his pain, and Naruto enabled him every step of the way.

"We can't tell you anything about missions, Uzumaki," The dark hair shinobi told him, her face was covered in a mask as all he could read was the distaste in her eyes. "Commander Uchiha knows better,"

"I'm not asking about the mission! I just need to get ahold of him," Naruto stressed. He couldn't tell them about the headaches, or the blackouts. Sasuke would never forgive him. "I just need to know if he's alright."

"Why wouldn't he be?" She asked, voice dead panned as she shot down his inquiry.

"Because people die on these missions!" Naruto exclaimed at her, not accepting that answer. "It's not too much to ask. I know you know how to contact him while he's out."

"We know how to connect with him while he's out," She repeated, however, there was a strange tone to her voice that sent his nerves on edge.

"Wait…" He murmured, blue eyes wide as fear gripped him. "He is out, isn't he?" Absolute dread incased his heart as he considered the possibility that the love of his life hadn't been on a mission for weeks...he had just been missing and he had been too dumb to notice. "Isn't he?" He asked one more time, begging her to give him any semblance of hope before the bottom dropped out of his world.

She stared him down, not seeming to realize that her response could crush him in all of his entirety. "I am not allowed to comment on any ongoing missions," She told him, and then seemed to consider this statement. "Commander Uchiha always has a good reason for what he does."

Naruto's knees quaked slightly at the confirmation, feeling close to vomiting as he realized the implications. Sasuke wasn't on a mission. Sasuke was gone ever since the night of his birthday. He had left him. He had left him…

"Thank you," He replied, feeling like he was on autopilot as he considered what he had to do next. He was out there with those Akatsuki scum, unprotected. He had left on purpose. For what? Because of the kid thing? He hadn't meant to pressure him. He just wanted him to commit. He just wanted Sasuke to look at him in the same way Naruto looked at him. He'd take it back. He'd take anything back if he would just stay. Why couldn't he stop running? Always to him...that man who had killed his parents. He thought maybe if he gave him a new family it would help. He tried to be his family…

Anger mixed with worry as he thought about the ring he had bought him. If Sasuke had only had patience. If he had only waited to see what Naruto had meant when he asked him. He never waited though. He was impulsive, and so angry all the time. He had probably ran off the second dinner had ended. The coward. He was such a coward sometimes it made him sick, and yet he ached to see him again so that he could beg for his forgiveness.

It didn't matter. He could decide whether or not he loved or hated him later. For now he needed to find out where the fuck he had gone to, and drag him home kicking and screaming. Then they would have a long talk about all of the fucked up reasons Sasuke needed to let someone help him.

He rushed to get to their apartment, knowing he could pack a bag and be out of the free territory in less than an hour. From there he would find his trail and track down where he could have possibly gone to.

Naruto burst through his door, failing to notice that it wasn't locked. He sped to a halt, however, when he saw the man standing in their living room. The man that almost looked like… "Sasuke?" No, there's no way his hair could have grown that fast. That meant...no...it couldn't be…

"One would think, given your intimate relationship, you would be able to tell the difference," The man turned to face him fully, and Naruto noticed a picture frame resting in his hand. "Where was this taken?" He questioned, and Naruto's brain struggled to catch up with its surprise.

"You're Itachi, aren't you?" He questioned, noticing the red clouds on his cloak that marked him an Akatsuki. "You're his brother,"

Itachi once more pointed to the photo, clearly choosing to ignore such an obvious question. "Where was it taken?"

Naruto glanced to the photo, recognizing it immediately. It was the day Sasuke had made Commander in ANBU. They had gone to the beach, and Naruto had made love to him 3 times in the sand. The picture he took was of Sasuke lying in the sand, smiling and happy. It was one of his favorites. Itachi, the bastard, didn't deserve the memory.

"On the beach," Naruto said, because that much was obvious. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Sasuke!?" He asked more urgently.

"Noticed he was missing, did you?" Itachi questioned. "How long did that take before you realized he left you?"

The Kyuubi growled in his chest, and Naruto's eyes slitted with chakra as fury overtook him. "He didn't!"

Itachi's mouth tilted in amusement, smashing the frame on counter and ripping out the picture. "Really? I can see how sure you are," He tilted his head, and Naruto wanted to punch that smug look off his face. "What was it that you wanted from him? Children? He did laugh when he mentioned such absurdity."

A tail whipped out behind him as his temper flared, teeth growing as he began to growl. "What the hell did you do to him!? Where is he!?" Had they tortured him? Was he okay? How could Naruto have been so stupid to think he had been on a mission for weeks!?

"Nothing that he didn't ask for," Itachi shot right back calmly, seemingly not intimidated at the fact that he was staring down a monster. "So this is the life you gave him?" He questioned. "A modest apartment in a dead town?" He grinned, "No wonder he was so quick to leave you. Don't you know about my otouto's ambitions?"

"His ambitions?" Naruto growled. "He's the Commander of ANBU! He's one of the most powerful shinobi in our village!"

"Did you actually think that would be enough for him?" Itachi questioned, tearing down the walls he had built that made him think Sasuke was satisfied. That he was always telling the truth when he told him he was happy. "To lick at your boot straps? He is an Uchiha."

"Yeah?" Naruto growled. "Is that supposed to mean something to me? You bastards killed each other, and then abandoned him broken and alone!" Another tail emerged in his fury, claws extending as he continued to growl at this Akatsuki bastard. "He was a child! He had no one!"

"He's always had me," Itachi replied with, eyes flickering across the chakra, obviously trying to read the situation. "He's always been mine,"

"Fuck you!" Naruto spat, not understanding what this prick was talking about, but just wanting to break his jaw regardless. "Do you think anyone rational has bought the story Sasuke told? He was a child and he was scared. He was covering for his bastard of a brother!" Naruto screamed, hating this piece of shit more than anything. "This village knows what you did, even if he can't see it."

"He knows my sins," Itachi murmured back, and to Naruto's disgust he saw no sorrow or regret on his face. He didn't seem to care that he had just admitted to murdering all of his clan. He didn't give a shit that he had butchered his own parents, and left his brother a sobbing mess.

"I'll kill you," He growled, his chakra crashing against their walls. "I'll kill you, you bastard!" He lunged forward, claws slashing at that lifeless face, and snarling when the body disappeared into crows. "Coward!"

Naruto rushed around the apartment, looking for the tricky scum of a shinobi. He stopped short as he ran to the hallway, seeing Itachi standing in their room, staring down at his and Sasuke's bed.

"Did he kiss you first?" Itachi asked, not turning towards him as he continued to stare at his rumpled sheets. He had asked the question with such longing it made nausea rise up in his throat.

"You don't deserve to know a single thing about him," Naruto replied, palms dripping from digging his claws into his palm. "Not a single thing! Tell me where he is." Naruto started slowly. "Tell me now!" He screamed.

Naruto moved to claw his way through Itachi's spinal cord, but was grabbed from behind and yanked backwards. The Kyuubi reacted, spinning on the assailant as his teeth ripped through their shoulder. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the dark scared eyes staring back at him in pain as blood dripped on the floor.

"I'm right here, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, hand running down his face. His tails disappeared as he withdrew his teeth. "I'm here...I'm…." Naruto lunged then, grabbing the back of Sasuke's head and crashing his mouth against his, letting his bloody mouth devour the shocked one connected to his.

Sasuke shot back in alarm when those lips touched his. His eyes turned towards Itachi, wincing as the Mangekyou was swirling around in their depths. "Aniki...please don't...don't…" But his brother was always quicker than him. He was in front of Naruto in a second, and Sasuke clapped his hands over his ears as the blonde started screamed. "He didn't do anything wrong!" He screamed at him, rushing forward as Naruto collapsed and shoved Itachi back. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?"

Sasuke leaned down, checking Naruto's pulse, and grunted as his hair was grabbed from behind. He was dragged off of the body and back against Itachi's chest. "Do you honestly think your best course of action right now is to touch him?" He whispered into his ear, other hand gripping his neck in anger.

"I didn't kiss him," Sasuke argued, heart pounding in fear and worry. "He doesn't know who I am, Niisan. He thinks I'm his."

Itachi reacted at that, throwing him forward so that he landed on the bed. Sasuke caught himself, flipping over and coming up with a kunai, just as his brother descended on him. "You're not going to hurt him," He demanded. "Hurt me all you want, but he doesn't deserve this." His eyes flickered around, seeing evidence of him and Naruto everywhere he looked. Seeing this world he could have had if he wasn't completely and inexplicably Itachi's.

"He raped you!" Itachi hissed, those windmills still in his eyes as Sasuke tried to push down his fear and not look away. If there were tears running down his cheeks he was going to choose to ignore them.

"He didn't," Sasuke assured him, voice trembling. "It was a different world Itachi," He grunted as his hair was yanked again, exposing his neck and his still bleeding shoulder. "I wanted you back so bad, and I selfishly gave you your memories...not knowing how bad they would hurt you." He understood now. He understood how much pain his brother must have been in with the knowledge that could literally rip the universe apart. "I'm sorry," He begged forgiveness, shifting so that he fell back on the bed, taking Itachi with him. "But it isn't him. He never hurt me," That he knew about. Naruto for all he knew could be hurting his other half every single day. He ran his hands through Itachi's hair, breathing a sigh of relief when his eyes began to revert back. "If you kill Naruto...you will hurt 'him'. He'll be just as broken as me Itachi...can you live with that?"

"I'm not going to be the one that hurts him," Itachi's eyes turned dark as he watched Sasuke, lips pressing to his cheek as he sat up, pulling a dagger out from his belt. Sasuke felt like he was going to throw up, feeling all the color drain from his face as his eyes went blank. It was the same dagger he had used to stab Itachi. It was the same knife Itachi had used on Naruto the first time.

That was when the pain started. It exploded through his head as it felt like his brain was ripping apart. He wasn't aware he was screaming, almost deaf to the noise as he grabbed at his head, thrashing in the bed as the bracelet glowed on his wrist.

"Otouto calm down!" His brother's voice seemed to pierce the pain and noise, but it only amplified the feeling of being ripped apart. "Sasuke I can't hold you here if you don't calm down!" It only made him scream harder as the bracelet on his wrist kept him in this world, but the other part of him warred to get to the surface. He clawed his way up against Itachi's will.

Sasuke's mind flared as memory after memory collapsed into his brain. ANBU academy, training with Obito, sex with Naruto...amazing sex with Naruto. His body bowed as he thrashed, clawing at his wrist. "Take it off! Aniki it hurts! Aniki!" He begged his brother. He had to help him. He had to be decent for one time in his life and put him out of his misery.

"I don't want to lose you again," Itachi murmured as he felt hands on his head trying to comfort him. "You just have to calm down, Otouto. I need you," Not to calm down. Itachi needed him. He was his conscience. He was his soul.

Sasuke just couldn't stop disappointing him.

He could feel the change coming. His consciousness was beginning to revert. Through the pain he felt scared. What would Itachi do if he wasn't there to help him stop making stupid decisions? Who the hell was going to protect Naruto from his wrath, and from that dagger that could change everything? What was his other half going to think when he woke up with Itachi once more between his legs?

"I told you to calm down," Itachi growled in frustration, before turning the dagger and cracking Sasuke's temple in a last ditch effort to keep him there. Deep down as his consciousness staggered...He hoped it really hadn't worked.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.


	9. Forgive Me, Naruto

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 9: Forgive Me, Naruto

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sasuke questioned as he stared through a cascade of water at his reflection. He wasn't the same though, was he? His eyes were not his eyes. Two different colors, like the two warring halves of his soul. Not only that, but the other looked almost...sad. Devastated in a way that his own life had never allowed him to reach. Not until he had found Itachi. Not when for some reason he could feel the danger Naruto was currently in while he couldn't seem to escape from his own head.

"I never meant for any of this to happen," The other part of his mind spoke. "I just missed him. I _need_ him," He spoke, and there was such agony in his voice. So much desperation. Had he ever needed anything as much as this side of him needed his brother?

"He's a bad person," Sasuke argued, and saw no disagreement within his reflection. "He killed our family. He is Akatsuki!"

The other sighed, shaking his head sadly as the familiar arguments seemed to reach his ears. "So are we. We are whatever he makes us."

"No," Sasuke disagreed. "He abandoned us. He doesn't love us. Naruto has always. You're about to let him die!"

"You're the one hiding!" His reflection snapped. "You're the one not willing to save him," His face turned angry as glowered. "And for the record...Naruto doesn't deserve to be rescued anymore than Itachi did." He smiled cynically at him, giving a small laugh. "But that doesn't change the fact that you'll try. Maybe you'll succeed. After all, you don't love Itachi the way I love him."

He did though, didn't he? In this inbetween place he realized how insatiably he loved his brother. Just like he understood what was happening between them, as if they were sharing one mind. "Are we one person? Can we ever be?"

"Yes," the other assured him, mismatched eyes almost glowing in the strange reflection. "He'll figure it out. He always does. We're not two separate people. We're just asleep." He leaned in, reaching through the water as Sasuke felt the feather touch of fingers on his face. "So wake up,"

,,,,,,,,,,

Sasuke's eyes opened slowly, trying not to alert any attention to himself as he took in his surroundings. He was in a bed...Itachi's bed. His brother's room then. Very bold of him to risk it after what had happened last time. He understood now. He understood what had happened between them hadn't been forced. Of course, his rational mind realized that even if it hadn't had been the one buried deep inside of him, he could have never said no to Itachi. It didn't seem possible to displease his brother when he asked something of him.

He glanced to the side, meeting Itachi's eyes as the other stared intently back at him. It was impossible to read what he was thinking behind those sharingan depths, but Sasuke knew he had to be worried. He knew how hopeful his brother must be to think that when he had opened his eyes the one he loved would be staring back. If his brother was capable of love, that is, something he wasn't completely sure of. He intended to prove it though. Prove it, and find out what happened while he was sleeping. It seemed he would always be asking the question of what his sleeping mind had been capable of. How many more secrets would he discover?

"Is he alright?" He managed, trying to keep any worry or anxiety out of his tone as he stared at his brother.

Itachi seemed to be searching for something in his features, head tilting ever so slightly as if debating his response. "He's alive," Sasuke held in the sigh of relief that wanted to escape him as his stomach flipped in happiness. Though, just because Itachi had said he was alive, didn't mean he was unharmed. "I wouldn't deprive you of doing the honors."

"What?" Sasuke shot back, before he could help himself and consider all the possibilities of what that could mean. "I would never,"

"Why?" Itachi questioned, getting up out of his chair as he came towards the bed. "Why would you never?" He was searching for the right answers, and Sasuke realized he didn't know who he was speaking to yet. He hadn't quite given the game away with his concern. Which meant he had always cared deeply for Naruto. Had always loved him, in this world, and whatever world was supposed to have been.

Sasuke pushed himself up as Itachi got closer, getting to his knees and grunting as he was yanked further up and close by his hair. "You know why," He managed, not knowing if Itachi really did. He could read a lot into that though. It could buy him time.

"No, Otouto, truly I don't," He pressed their foreheads together, inhaling deeply as his fingers began to trace down his back. "I lost my temper. I hadn't meant to go as far as I did, but that just means we can move up our plans."

A trap.

Itachi was just begging him to question what the plan was. To let anything slip that might tell him what he needed to know.

"Konoha will never allow this to stand. They will send thousands to get him back," Between all the territories, there would be plenty to fight for their freedom. "You were impulsive," He reprimanded, shuddering in pleasure as lips found their way to his pulse, slightly biting the delicate skin there.

"I was jealous," Itachi corrected, and Sasuke's heart skipped at hearing him admit to such a thing. His Aniki never admitted weakness. Especially not to him. He grit his teeth as his own jealousies reared up into existence, his hands coming out to grip Itachi's hips as he pressed closer.

"Jealous enough to ruin your own plans?" Sasuke questioned, not believing for one second that Itachi would sacrifice anything for him.

Itachi pulled back, examining his face. Always searching for something. "I don't want to fight with you about this anymore. We will keep him as long as we have to in order to get it back inside you."

Sasuke tried to keep his face neutral, but he didn't think he quite managed as shock and confusion radiated through him. He had to be smart about what he said next. He had to, or Itachi would make him sleep again.

"What if I don't want it?" He questioned his brother, flinching a little as he was met with a laugh.

"My darling Otouto," Itachi murmured mockingly, and Sasuke gasped as he was yanked forward into a kiss, so casual as if every kiss with this man wasn't life shattering. He clung harder to him as their mouths fit together, feeling light headed as his blood sang with the contact. His brother pulled back, and Sasuke chased after the lips, cupping his face to pull him in for more. Kisses with Naruto had never been like this. Being with him had never been like this. So what the hell did that say about him as a person? That he could allow this sin to manifest? That he could chase the taste of it on his lips to beg to be given his sin again? Itachi finally pulled back, fingers trailing down to the clasp of his pants, and Sasuke tried to ignore the growing bulge there as his zipper was slowly lowered. "You've always wanted it."

Sasuke gasped in surprise as he was shoved back, and Itachi was on him the instant his back hit the bed. He kissed him with desperation, and it wasn't hard to feel Itachi's want sliding against his hip as he worked to get his pants over his hip bones. Was it this easy between them? Could they bathe in this sin so quickly, as if it wasn't life altering? As if it didn't matter?

How was it so easy with them? How had Itachi chosen to love him in some other world, but not his own? What had he done differently? How had he failed to obtain something that could make every nerve in his body sing in pleasure from just the slightest of touches? What did it say about him that sex with Naruto had always been good, but it had been hard?

Itachi yanked his boxers off next, leaving him bare under the waist as he was pulled up to slip off his shirt. His brother's sharingan eyes examined him, taking in every detail as if he could memorize this body he wasn't quite used to. As if he could change it to be the one he wanted. 

"Don't like what you see?" Sasuke questioned, anxiety and nervous anticipation coming to his tone. This is what he had to do. He had to make Itachi think he could trust him. He had to find his way back to his Dobe. Naruto would forgive him. He had to...He always did.

Itachi knitted his eyebrows at the question, slowly drawing his own long sleeved shirt over his head as he considered his response. "You once looked like this. It doesn't make it better in my eyes. Believe me, I want to be inside of you no matter what your appearance."

Had once looked like this? Meaning he hadn't anymore. Meaning something had happened to him. Sasuke was always quick at reading others. He had to in order to lead the ANBU interrogations. He knew he should be feeling ashamed at lying naked under his brother. He knew he should be trying to get away, but all he felt was anger. For Itachi to want someone as much as he had, but to not care about his looks. Is that why he hadn't come to him? What the hell was so special about his other half? How was it fair of him to take the Itachi that might have loved him away from him?

"Brightness, don't scowl," Itachi admonished, smoothing the lines of his forehead as he kissed him again. Sasuke didn't kiss back, couldn't bring himself to because this was wrong. Itachi was wrong.

Sasuke pushed back, glaring at the one above him. "It isn't fair what you did. You had no right to take my brother away from me." He was impulsive...reckless...he was destroying the only advantage he had to get Naruto away from this hell hole. To what? Get justice for what was done to him? To be able to speak of the travesties of this world, and finally get answers?

Itachi stiffened on top of him, and his face paled considerably as he backed off as if stricken, quickly fastening his pants and grabbing for the blanket to throw on him. "Cover yourself," He managed, sounding sick, eyes darting around in his head as if he considered every possibility that could explain what he had almost let happen. No, but rather, how he had been tricked?

"Why, Aniki?" Sasuke questioned, sitting up as the blanket pooled in his lap, and he noticed how Itachi couldn't take his eyes off the spot. "What's the matter?" His anger boiled over as the sharingan flooded into his eyes. "You should not be disgusted to touch me!" He should, obviously he should. It was wrong on every level, just not for the reasons Itachi was telling him. "Whatever you did destroyed this world! It destroyed me...and it destroyed you. You took my brother away from me!" He screamed at him, insanity swelling as his headache started. "I fucking hate you!"

He grunted as he was backhanded, tasting blood as his face snapped to the side. Chidori came to his fingers as he swung at his brother, gritting his teeth as his hand was grabbed and Itachi's hand covered the bracelet on his wrist.

"Sleep," He commanded, and Sasuke's adrenaline thrummed for only a moment as he thought he might be forced down again, but the familiar glow of the bracelet didn't happen.

He gave his brother a bloody grin as the metallic taste filled his mouth. "Guess he doesn't want to talk to you right now," It had been part of his plan all along, but he was angry, and it was better to turn the knife in the wound. "If you had loved him you would have been able to tell the difference. But then again…" Words he didn't really know, words echoing from deep inside of his soul that he could feel thrumming with pain. "You never really loved him."

Itachi looked stricken, wounded as he let him go and backed up as if burned. Sasuke hadn't expected for it to have such an affect, and the thought angered him even more. "No! You don't get to be hurt by this! Not after everything you've done to me!"

"What of what you've done to me, Sasuke?" He questioned, the familiar nicknames all but gone from his lips. The anger boiling under his skin was still palpable. "This is all your fault. All of it, and you dare to hide now?"

Oh. Not angry at him then.

The one who was the brightness in his soul.

"I'm not hiding from you," Sasuke growled, wrapping the blanket around him as he got out of the bed. "Why don't you tell me just what the fuck you did? What I helped you do, because it's always your plans, isn't it? You always figure it out," He repeated what he was told by his other half. "Always have a contingency."

"So little you think of me," Itachi hissed at him, and Sasuke felt sick as he saw actual hate reflecting back from those features. "You have no idea what you've done with this deception."

"Why?" Sasuke questioned, getting closer. "Because you touched me?"

"Because I touched you," His brother repeated without hesitation.

"Doesn't seem fair, considering," He murmured, amused by how he could see Itachi's pulse racing in his neck.

"No, it doesn't," Itachi agreed. "But it's never fair with him. I just got him back," He shook his head, grinning as he rubbed at his mouth. "May as well stop the pretenses now, shouldn't we Sasuke?" He questioned. "It may not be just, what he did to this world, but he gave it to us...and sacrifices are always required for this level of forbidden jutsu."

"What?" He asked, nervous fear leaping into his throat as Itachi's face went from pain to determination as he stepped closer.

"He was always stronger than me. He didn't hesitate. I did. I let you have your life for ten years, but it has to stop." Itachi murmured. "He was naive to think that it was just the blood. A life given, requires a life taken. I never wanted to hurt you in any facet, but I can't have him hide for another decade. I won't survive it….and you...you were never supposed to live past that night."

"Get away from me," Sasuke growled, covering his fear as he stumbled back, tripping slightly on the blanket as chakra lit up across his features and chidori sang in the air.

"He did it you know. He killed your Itachi that night. He sacrificed plenty, but he wasn't allowed to sacrifice himself. That was my job, but I didn't want to hurt you anymore. I didn't think it would make a difference when he was dead and gone."

Sasuke held up his hand, pointing it at Itachi as multiple versions of him appeared all around as the world began to bleed red. When had he trapped him? When had his Genjutsu gotten this strong? "Please," He told him, feeling weak and hurt as he considered the possibility that Itachi would sacrifice him, would kill him for the other. "I'm your brother," He pleaded as Itachi got closer.

"I know," Itachi murmured, face a mask that was so different than the raw emotions he had seen when he had discovered his treachery. As if it had been so wrong to just want to be with him. To want to be looked at like he was the only thing in the world. He thought of Naruto. The blond dobe looked at him like that. He loved him, and he betrayed him. Betrayed him for this thing that very long ago used to be his brother.

"Itachi wait…" He managed, just as his brother was on him, and when he was drawn into those swirling eyes he saw nothing but black.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, and Sasuke groaned as he was shook hard. "Baby...wake up…"

The pain was the first thing he felt. His entire left side of his face felt like it had been bruised and broken. His palm slid up to press Naruto away, pressing against his chest as he went to open his eyes. Correction...eye. His other hand came to his face to find it covered in bandages.

Shock radiated through him for only a moment, before he felt anger.

Itachi. The bastard.

"It's okay," He promised the blond, and sighed as the other all but collapsed into his arms. He understood why he was here. He understood what his brother wanted from him. Why he had done this. He wondered just where he had planted the dagger. "I'm here now,"

His arms spread around him, kissing the side of those spikes as he wondered how to get out of this situation. How to save Naruto even as he knew he couldn't. He wondered how he could let his brother go, when he had changed the world to keep him. This was his fault. He'd have to tell Deidara he was right when he saw him again. But he wouldn't, would he? He'd never see his friend again. He'd never see anyone from his own life again, because Itachi had always come first for him. He had assured that in this world, and any world, he was all that mattered.

Itachi had left him to wake up with Naruto. He was being a coward, knowing his anger would be the strongest when he first opened his new set of mismatched eyes. For he had no doubt that's what his brother had done. The Kyuubi would kill him if it was given to him without its power. Then there was the other reason, that he would finally gain his sanity and kill himself for what he had done. The eye assured this could never happen.

"Sasuke what's going on?" Naruto questioned. "Your brother is Akatsuki. He's...I think he wants something bad from you?" Something bad...no doubt. Though he hadn't thought of it in those terms for quite awhile.

"I know," He assured Naruto again. How could he say anything knowing what he had to do. What Itachi had set him to do. Even though he knew he must be furious at him. Even though he knew how Sasuke tended to lash at when upset. He believed in him.

No, not entirely. He just trusted that Sasuke's own ambitions would take over in the end. Because Itachi understood him. He understood that price of penance would be to give him back his power. To make him special. Only then would they discuss why he couldn't feel another presence in his mind. Only then would they discuss why it was so easy for him to be in this world.

Itachi had done something horrendous. Again.

"I'm sorry about what happened on my birthday," He told Naruto, staring into those bright blue eyes. "I'm sorry about a lot of things, Dobe." Because this is what his other half would have wanted. He would want to say goodbye. "I love you," Because he always had, hadn't he? Just not as much as Itachi. Nothing would ever be as much as that.

"I love you so much Sas!" Naruto exclaimed, and then they were kissing and Sasuke was remembering how easy it was to pretend that he cared about him. How he had done so for months in the off chance Itachi would notice and come back to him. "We have to get out of here. This prison blocks chakra, but if we can just get back to Konoha. We can bring in reinforcements. We know where there base is now!"

Tears slipped down Sasuke's face as Naruto spoke, and his chest heaved as he considered the possibilities of ruining the very last dredges of his soul. "I would have said yes, you know…" He told him, cupping Naruto's face. "If you had asked me," In this world, and the one before Itachi had come.

Naruto's face lit up with happiness as Sasuke's hand traveled underneath the pillow of the cot he had woken up in. He wasn't surprised to feel the weight of the steel under his fingers. His brother knew. He knew he would understand.

"I got you a ring," Naruto told him. "A red stone to match your eyes. Kakashi helped me, because I couldn't decide." Sasuke felt bile rise up in his throat as more tears poured down his eye. "Babe, what happened to your face?" He asked him, hands rubbing carefully across his bandaged head. "Did he hurt you?"

"He always hurts me," Sasuke told him, voice hollow even as he continued to cry. "He's hurting me now," Even as he gave him what he wanted. But it wasn't just what he wanted, was it? This benefited Itachi as much as Sasuke, more so, because it gave him the power to finally take over. He always only really got things for himself.

"I'll kill him," Naruto growled. "We just have to get out of this cell, and then I'll…"

Sasuke shut his eye as fresh blood was coughed across it. He twisted the dagger in Naruto's stomach, the same place he had stabbed Itachi, and he held back the vomit rising in his throat as he considered what Itachi had made him do once again. But he had to. He knew that now. This was how they got back to normal. This was how they finally knew peace, and if some of it was his own selfish desires, well, he wasn't going to admit it. He would never admit just how similar he was to the one he loved.

"Forgive me Naruto," He managed, opening his eye as it shifted with the change of the Mangekyo Sharingan, seeing those bright blue ones staring at him in disbelief as he slowly looked down to the dagger embedded in his gut. It's only fitting that it should be the thing to kill this world's soulmate. It had already taken his own.

"Sa..Sa...Sas...Wh-Why…." He stopped talking as the screaming began, and Sasuke shot back as his eyes flooded red with the Kyuubi and his skin started to peel.

"What have you done, boy?" The Kyuubi spoke through Naruto's mouth as the cell quaked. The wards not enough to block this level of chakra as the door flew open. Sasuke scrambled back, hardly able to get out of the cell before he was grabbed by the back of his head, and flung forward to crash through the wall.

He used his chakra to push himself up, sprinting across the wall as the Kyuubi transformed, chasing him on all fours. He could feel the air changing, thickening….and he remembered the storm that had been above them when Itachi had taken on Naruto by himself.

Sasuke sprinted as the Kyuubi grew in size, and at the same time began to bleed its chakra. He glanced behind him to see a familiar globe of it beginning to form above his head. It was happening. He had done it. Would Itachi be proud of him, or had he failed him once again?

He burst through the doors into the throne room, stumbling down onto the stone floor as he turned just in time to see the Kyuubi coming down at him to strike, claws flexed and ready for death.

"Your eyes Sasuke!" Was the command yelled at him, and he had learned to always obey that voice as his eye swirled with the Mangekyou, and he caught the Kyuubi in them one instant before his death.

He knew the Akatsuki were surrounding him, but all he could see was the beast above him, staring down at him through Naruto's eyes as it slowly evaporated above him. A ball of energy now floated as he was able to see Naruto one last time before the light faded from his eyes, as did the last part of Sasuke's soul.

Naruto's corpse landed on him, knocking the wind out of him and breaking his concentration as the power of the Kyuubi was let loose, crackling all across the room. He tried to back up, to get the bleeding corpse off of him as he began to panic, hyperventilating as he realized what he had done.

He didn't even fight it as he was grabbed under the arms, yanked back and pulled back against his brother as he sobbed.

"Do you see?" Itachi questioned, and he realized he must be speaking to the rest of the Akatsuki, because he couldn't see anything beyond his own madness and grief. He couldn't see anything beyond his own damning actions. "His potential. He will lead us to greatness. He is the one who will help us overthrow Konoha." Itachi leaned into his ear, not seeming to care that he was covered from head to toe in Naruto's blood. "Forgive me, Sasuke," He managed, and then the energy hit him in the chest, and he knew nothing but pain.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.


	10. The Truth of It

The Never-Fading Light

Chapter 10: The Truth of It

How quickly a person can fall into old routines.

Sasuke had been trapped in a prison of his own making for a decade. He had only been allowed to enjoy fleeting moments of life during the blackouts. Ironic, that Itachi used to take a part of his life during those spells, and now he had become more like his brother than he had ever thought possible, and made it his mission to take the life himself.

He had woken up in the Akatsuki's hospital wing over a week ago. A month after he had slain Naruto in cold blood. Slain him for power, and if he were being honest, revenge. The Kyuubi was roiling in his belly, chakra erratic as he was being kept under constant sedation as his body adjusted. It was the only mercy Itachi had shown him. Not only because that cursed diadem wasn't fastened to his head, but the heavy sedation left his mind a befuddled mess of fog. He didn't feel guilt. He didn't feel pain. He just felt heavy. Like the weight of the world was on his shoulders as this thing swam inside of him.

He loved it.

The power was intoxicating. Sasuke had forgotten the way he could drown in this chakra. The beast inside of him growling ferally with want. He wanted to rule. He wanted to bite. He wanted to snarl out the rage he felt over having to gut his best friend. Over the fact that Itachi had taken it upon himself to kill his other half...or to put him deep enough to sleep that he couldn't reach him.

He couldn't act on any of these thoughts though. He couldn't even access the chakra he felt licking against his soul. The sedation was powerful. What was going to happen when they decided to wean him off of it? In another world it had taken Itachi months to quell the Kyuubi's fury. He had used the diadem as a leash. He wondered if Itachi would dare now. He wondered if his brother would ever grow the courage to come into the hospital room and witness the monster he had created.

Coward.

"Sasuke," he heard a voice speak from the door. He wanted it to be Itachi, but it wasn't. Of course it wasn't, but it was beyond familiar.

Mismatched eyes glanced over to the door, filling with immediate tears as emotions overcame him even in this drugged haze. "Sasori," his voice broke, sounding muddled and pained in his own ears. He hadn't seen him since the night of the forbidden jutsu. He hadn't seen him since the man had been his own hands, helping them step into the damnation Sasuke had willed upon them.

Struggling to sit up in the bed, Sasuke ignored the way his head spun with the drugs as he reached for the puppet master. "I missed you. How's Dei?"

Sasori's eyes knitted a little in confusion, and Sasuke was always fascinated how many emotions could appear on a wooden face. Why was he confused? Did he doubt his affections? No, Sasuke realized with disappointment. He just didn't understand them. This wasn't his friend...his brother.

"He's alright," Sasori murmured after a moment, and Sasuke's befuddled ears heard the slight shift in his tone. Wariness. "I'm sure he'll be more than amused that you've shown such concern."

Sasuke shut his eyes, leaning back against the pillow. "I live to amuse that idiot," he managed, aching to see his friend even as his hands were still stained with the other blonde's blood. Would Deidara suffer the same fate if he continued to care for him? Did he even care for him in this world?

"You're acting strange," Sasori pointed out, an unfamiliar coldness in his tone.

"It's probably all the drugs," Sasuke easily supplied. "I assume this was my Aniki's idea?"

"To keep you drugged and unaware?" Sasori questioned, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "I can't ever imagine Itachi doing anything like that."

Sasuke let out a snort. Well...at least Sasori still hated his brother. He didn't know if there was a place for him in this reality if they were friends. "He's scared," he informed Sasori, knowing the other would get a kick out of Itachi's weakness.

"Scared?" Sasori questioned him, coming closer to his bedside. "Of what? The Kyuubi?" his eyes glanced over Sasuke's form, shaking his head in disgust. "I can't believe you let him put that inside of you."

Again. He had let him put it inside of him again.

Itachi was especially gifted at putting things inside of him. A monstrous beast was clearly no exception. "I don't think the Jinchuuriki scare him. He's too obsessed with their power to tremble at their might." He probably shouldn't be speaking this freely, but it had been so long since he had been able to talk to anyone like this.

"What then?" Sasori asked after a moment, clearly confused with where all of this was going.

The Uchiha swallowed hard, blinking his green and red eyes at his old teacher as he debated how much to say. "Me," he finally conceded. "He's afraid of me...of the words I'm going to say to him." Even more still, Itachi feared something else even more. "He thinks I'm going to reject him."

Sasori looked sickened at the very idea. He supposed it would be repulsive to him. He didn't quite know what him and Itachi were to each other. Not yet. "Did he molest you?" was the inevitable question asked, and Sasuke felt himself laughing at the very assumption.

"Probably...at some point. I can't remember," he laughed harder than as Sasori's face shifted to fury, and he realized he must sound insane. He needed to fix this or they would put him down like a rabid dog. "It's not like that now, though. I want it."

"It's vile," Sasori supplied, face screwed up in disgust. "What he's done to you is vile. You don't even act like my student...my prodigy."

There were times he would have reveled in being called a prodigy by Sasori. The one in his world was never so approving. Though, he supposed the one in his world had always know he got fucked by his own brother.

"Are you taking the high ground?" Sasuke questioned him, sobering of his laughter. "After you let him lie to me...helped him poison me…lured me out here."

"I wouldn't if I had known how sick he was," Sasori tried, but Sasuke cut him off.

"You knew how sick he was," he wanted to vomit as he strained around the sedation, feeling chakra pulsing in his veins in spite of the drugs. His eyes slit with the fox, teeth elongating as he smirked. "You just didn't know how sick I was." Fear. It was delicious and pulsing throughout the room as he pushed himself up, insides pounding with strength and sensation. ...He was waking up.

Konan swept into the room, seemingly weightless as her dark manicured nails pushed him back, sticking a needle into his neck, as if she had been waiting for the opportunity. The Akatsuki member had been at his bedside almost as much as the healers. She had been keeping him quelled, keeping the Kyuubi bottled up inside of him.

He glowered at her as he slumped back to the bed, the slitted fox eyes fading from his own as chocolate brown and green were left over. "Bitch," he managed, not willing to admit to the woman how relieved he was that she had stopped his ascent. He wasn't ready to give into the fox yet. He wasn't ready to succumb to the power. Not before he spoke with Itachi.

Konan sighed in sadness, shaking her head. "Sasori, I told you not to upset him."

Sasori rose a dark red eyebrow at her. "Oh? And what of him upsetting me?"

She gave him a scolding look at that, eyes monitoring Sasuke's vitals as he swam in a drugged haze. "He's more delicate than you are."

"Delicate?" Sasori questioned. "I think you have him confused for someone else. Don't worry, it's a mistake people have been making around him a lot lately."

"I love you too Sasori," Sasuke whispered, sincerity in his tone. He had never expressed the affections he had felt for his friends. ...For the ones who had picked up the pieces of him once Itachi had died. He supposed it didn't matter now, but it did make him feel a bit better to know that Sasori in one world at least knew he loved him. He wondered if Itachi would care. ...In another life he had stabbed Sasori through the heart for just being his friend.

"What's wrong with him?" The puppet master asked, and Sasuke would only concede a small bit of hurt at the rejection.

"I have my suspicions," Konan admitted. "Itachi is keeping secrets again. He should have told us his plan with this boy."

"Yes," Sasori agreed, distaste in his tone. "But the day Itachi starts baring his soul is the day hell freezes over."

Sasuke laughed in spite of himself as he shifted in the bed, eyes locked on the doorway as he felt his brother's chakra long before seeing him standing there. The hate he thought would fill him was numbed with sedation and the realization that Itachi hadn't been the monster this time. Not really. He had given him the choice, and Sasuke himself had chosen to murder Naruto for his own gains.

He really was the monster at the end of his own book.

"Aniki…" he greeted, not having to look to see the way Sasori and Konan shifted uncomfortably. "Finally found time to see the results of your meticulous planning?" he dug the words in, not knowing if they got their usual bite in his tired state.

Itachi ignored him, turning to Konan instead. "I told you not to sedate him anymore unless it was absolutely necessary."

"He was turning," she argued against her leader. "It was necessary, or did you want a feral Jinchuuriki loose in the compound?" Itachi doused her in a look of pure ice water, and Konan stepped back out of nervous fear. "Itachi I didn't mean…"

"You both are dismissed," he managed, fury and insanity licking at the sharingan spreading across his irises.

Sasori looked like he wanted to argue, to say more to Sasuke. He had obviously come here for a purpose. In his madness Sasuke had completely ruined the moment of possibility. Was it just to ask him about Itachi? The Kyuubi? It didn't matter now as they both left the room, leaving him alone with his brother for the first time since Naruto...since Itachi had killed the other soul inside of him. Since they had completed their mutual damnation.

Red eyes finally focused on him, and Sasuke flinched as that familiar distaste once more filled them. The distaste he would always try to hide whenever Sasuke was looking. It was the Kyuubi...it reminded his brother so much of Naruto. Of all the pain that one name caused.

"Why didn't you come to see me when I woke up?" Sasuke finally asked, steadying himself for the inevitable rejection that would roll candidly off Itachi's tongue.

Itachi studied him for a moment, eyes calculating and hard. "All the questions you must have, and this is where you start?"

Sasuke let out a soft laugh, eyelids heavy as the drugs started to take more of an affect. "It's as good of place to start as any in this fucked up story of ours, wouldn't you agree?"

"We rarely agree with each other, I wouldn't dream of starting now, Otouto," his brother said lowly, coming closer into the room, still keeping his distance as if he was nervous to get too close. "How is your control over it?"

Always to business, his strategic Aniki. "Not as good as before...better than the last time when I first took it in." Sasuke eyed him suspiciously. "You didn't use the diadem."

"No," Itachi agreed, edging closer. "You hate it, and I must admit, I don't have it."

Sasuke grinned at that, shaking his head. "Ah. That makes more sense than your sudden benevolence."

Itachi arched an eyebrow. "Trying to say I never do anything nice for you?" he questioned, eyes locked on the blanket covering Sasuke's torso.

Sasuke understood what he was implying, and his palm went to his belly almost protectively. "Aniki, this wasn't for me." Itachi's eyes were fixed on the spot, and Sasuke's mouth tilted slightly as he remembered that particular kink. "There's no scar anymore. What's your excuse now?"

Sharingan eyes flicked up to meet his eyes, and Sasuke was taken aback by the want in them. "I've never needed an excuse to look at you, Brightness," he managed. "You're mine to do with as I please."

Arousal pulsed through his drugged form, and Sasuke's fists clenched in the sheets as his breath quickened. "You killed him," he accused, and they both knew he wasn't talking about Naruto. That blood was on his hands and his alone. Regardless of the fact that Itachi would have done it if he hadn't.

Itachi flinched in pain, guilt covering his features as he considered it. Sasuke had rarely seen him express such a thing. Perhaps it had actually hurt him to kill his other half. "Did you love him?" he questioned his brother, earning a pained glare from the other.

"What do you think, Otouto?" Itachi hissed at him. "Did I love you before we were what we were?" he asked, voice a hiss of frustration and pain.

"We're even then, aren't we?" Sasuke asked after a moment. "We both killed someone we loved...just...not as much as each other."

Itachi nodded slowly. "So forgiving," he murmured, voice a teasing lilt, and underneath he was still trying to hide the pain over what he had lost. "My benevolent, Otouto," he hesitated a moment, before lifting up his knee to crawl up onto the bed, letting him taste his approval as he blanketed his body, grabbing his face and yanking it to his.

Sasuke kissed him slowly, fighting the sedation as his lips moved of their own accord against his brother's. He was too exhausted for it to ever be anything more than a kiss, and he was sure his brother knew that, but they kneaded their lips together anyways, as if they couldn't help themselves….as if the years of separation had become too much to ever be apart again. Not here, when they had finally gotten back to the way they were. ...Almost.

Itachi shifted on top of him, rolling over and being careful of the IVs in both of Sasuke's arms as he pulled him close. The younger shuddered at how long it had been since he had felt those arms wrapped languidly around him. How long had it been since he had felt at peace?

"It could be forever for us, you know?" Sasuke asked sleepily, laying his head just over the heart he had forced inside this world's Itachi's chest. It was the only way to get it to once more start beating.

"Death comes for us all eventually...but...we got another chance," Itachi murmured, exhaustion evident in his tone as his face was buried in Sasuke's hair, breathing in and out the smell of him.

"We could have more," Sasuke told him, resting his chin against his chest as he glanced up. "I know the jutsu,"

Itachi gave a shuddering laugh, more horrified than amused. "No, Otouto, this is it for us. No more lies. No more deception. Let us live out for all our days knowing the truth of it."

"The truth?" Sasuke questioned, glancing down as Itachi grabbed his hand, slipping the engagement ring on his finger. His heart raced, spittle drying up as his eyes began to flicker with the Kyuubi trying to pulse through his blood.

"Ssshhh…." Itachi quieted his racing mind, Sharingan flooding his eyes as he put the Kyuubi inside back to sleep. "Relax...I wanted to give it back to you the moment I snapped that bracelet on your wrist...But I didn't know how long I could keep you here," he hesitated, as if debating how much to say. "I didn't know if you would take it back."

As if there ever was a question that he belonged to Itachi. As if he hadn't worn the ring that had stolen his soul every day after Itachi had died. ...As if his brother was the only one that had things to atone for.

"Always…" he managed, kissing Itachi softly. "And never," he repeated the words, fingers still shaking as he stared down at the familiar band. The Kyuubi was inside of him now. Itachi was beside him. They had messed up so very many things in their lives, but perhaps this. Perhaps this one sparkle of joy he felt laying here with him now could last forever. Perhaps they could build on it as they expanded their empire...as they took control of the Akatsuki and fulfilled their dreams.

Always…

And Never…

~FIN~

So...

I had originally planned for this to be longer, but than I got to this chapter, and I set them up to be happy. ...In their own super weird way. Happiness following death and sadness. I think it was the only true ending I could give them, and I left it open for potential future fics. I just wanted our boys to not end in death. I know it was a short conclusion, but it felt right. Please let me know what you think. I am sad to let this story go, but I will leave it up to your imagination where they go from here...if they succeed with their empire...together. Thank you so very much for reading!


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